Beca Is A Pineapple
by Sweedledome
Summary: "Aubrey stared at her enthusiastic room mate who had just barged into their shared living room and announced that Beca was not actually human, but rather a yellow looking piece of fruit." Bechloe.
1. Let's Go Romance A Pineapple

_**I'm not entirely sure where this came from. I'm supposed to be writing a 4000 word essay on marketing segmentation that's due in tomorrow but I wrote this instead. Woops.**_

Beca Is A Pineapple

Aubrey's head lifted up from her revision notes to meet Chloe's excited grin.

"What?"

"Beca. She's a pineapple." Aubrey stared at her enthusiastic room mate who had just barged into their shared living room and announced that Beca was not actually human, but rather a yellow looking piece of fruit. Watching the now bouncing redhead who was squealing slightly as she moved around the room, Aubrey decided to close her notes, there was no revising when Chloe was in this mood.

"Chloe...did someone give you coffee again? Because you know we talked about that."

"No Bree! It's just something I figured out when she was showing me some mixes today."

"Okay...this isn't another one of your weird mixed metaphor things is it?" Chloe met Aubrey's exasperated look with a slightly guilty one. "Chloe! I don't have time for this. I have an exam in three days and you know I have a specific five day revision plan leading up to any and all exams to ensure maximum information retention."

"But this one is really good Bree! It fits Beca perfectly!" Knowing Chloe wouldn't leave her alone till she clarified it for her, Aubrey gave in.

"Alright then, explain it to me, in what way is Beca a pineapple?"

"Well...she's kind of hard and pointy and ugly on the outside...well not_ ugly_, kind of the opposite actually. She's really hot...I mean, have you seen her? So hot...except pineapples aren't hot...wait where was I again?"

"Beca's a pineapple." Aubrey sighed, pinching the bridge on her nose with one hand and internally reminding herself that yelling at Chloe only resulted in a wounded puppy dog look. The last time she'd been on the receiving end of that look she'd somehow ended up attending a Dr Dre concert, Aubrey was not keen to repeat the experience.

"Oh yeah, so like, she's all pointy and hard on the outside but inside she's just this big sweet pile of mush." Chloe grinned at Aubrey, obviously very proud of herself.

"Beca? Sweet? The girl who's always complaining about over relationshippy couples and won't stop making fun of Jesse for being whipped every time he buys his girlfriend flowers? She's…sweet?" Aubrey's monotone voice and raised eyebrow was enough to let Chloe know that she wasn't exactly on board with this metaphor.

"Yeah, she's sarcastic and grouchy most of the time but she keeps slipping up the more I hang out with her and showing she's got a really soft side."

"And exactly how do you intend to get past this hard, spiny exterior? A large serrated knife? Because I wouldn't object to that." Aubrey smiled to herself as she watched Chloe's expression drop, she always did enjoy pointing out the rather large plot holes in Chloe's metaphors.

"Breeee! You're killing my metaphor!"

"Also, pineapple is really acidic and leaves your tongue feeling weird if you have too much of it."

"I wouldn't mind letting Beca make my tongue feel weird if you know what I mean." Aubrey collapsed forward onto the table, letting her head make a loud 'thud' as it connected to let Chloe know just how frustrated she was with her recent trait of innuendo related humour when the conversation focused around Beca.

"Yes Chloe, I do know what you mean. I always know what you mean because it's _always something sexual _when you talk about the hobbit." Came Aubrey's muffled voice from the table. Point made, she sat back up to fix Chloe with an examining look. "That one wasn't your best by the way, you're losing your touch."

"Ugh, I know, I've run out of all the good ones trying to flirt with her. How am I supposed to sleep with Beca if every time I start getting remotely sexual, she just laughs a bit and calls me a weirdo?" Chloe whined as she moved to sit in the chair next to Aubrey.

"Maybe she thinks you're joking? You are a bit forward Chlo, she probably assumes that it's merely your sense of humour?"

"What do I do then? That's how I come on to people!"

"I'm well aware miss 'can you help me find my underwear please officer?'" Chloe scowled at Aubrey.

"I thought we agreed never to speak about that."

"You suggested it would be a good idea for my health not to but personally I think it's worth bringing up at every available opportunity." Aubrey said with glee, enjoying the resentful look on Chloe's face.

"I'm never having the Amy Special again.'

"Now _that_ I can agree to, trying to control you that night was like trying to control an overly happy moving tornado…what's even in an Amy Special? I've never seen you get that drunk before…"

"If I remember correctly, two parts tequila…"

"And?"

"….another three parts tequila." Aubrey sighed, that would explain it. Chloe didn't handle tequila well under the best of circumstances and that night she had seemed intent on forgetting Beca's absence from the party when Amy appeared yelling something about an ancient Australian drink passed down through generations of her family that held amnesic properties. Well she'd got the amnesic properties part right, Aubrey had to recount everything Chloe did from 10:00 onwards that night to the confused red head the next day.

"I have no sympathy for you."

"Beca was so sweet the next morning though! She came over with paracetamol and listened to me moan about never drinking again and made me breakfast and watched a movie with me!"

"Aaaaand, we're back to the hobbit. Wait, did you just say she watched a movie with you?"

"Uh-huh. A romcom."

"Aca-scuse me?!"

"I told you Bree, she's a pineapple."

"Alright….have you thought about wooing her?"

"Wooing? Seriously?"

"It's the best word for what I mean! Consider it Chloe, if she really is a pineapple like you say then maybe she needs more…romancing then you realise. Maybe she needs a less flirty approach and more of a sweet one?"

"…that is actually genius."

"I usually am." Aubrey replied smugly.

"Don't make me question our friendship."

"We've known each other too long, getting another best friend would require far too much time and effort on your part."

"Why are you always right?"

"Because I'm me."

"That's not reason."

"Yes it is."

"Is not."

"If you admit I'm always right then I'll help you come up with a plan to approach Beca, deal?"

"…deal."

"Say it."

"Aubrey is always right." Chloe groaned as Aubrey smiled happily.

"Okay then, let's go romance a pineapple….that's got to be one of the weirdest things I've ever said."


	2. Operation Midget Seduction

_**So the response I received for this was astonishing, as in I have never gotten that level of feedback for one thing before. Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed and convinced me that this was worth extending. I planned to do this some time ago but life got in the way and I didn't want to continue until I had a clear idea where it would go. Please don't hate me if I ruin it by adding more.**_

_**Also, I appear to have tumblr now (though i'm still trying to figure out how in the hell I use it). Sweedledome dot tumblr dot com if you're interested.**_

* * *

Operation Midget Seduction

Chloe sat on a single chair in the Bella's auditorium and frowned with some trepidation at the large white board in front of her that had the words "Operation Midget Seduction" scrawled across the top.

"I'm really not okay with the name you've given to this." She called to Aubrey who was currently devising a flow diagram for a course of action.

"Shhh."

"It sounds perverted!"

"Suits you perfectly then doesn't it? Anyway, quiet time now Chloe, you wanted my help so you have to deal with my methods." Aubrey replied in an absent minded tone, not really paying attention to the red head behind her.

"But…"

"We could always call it 'Operation Pineapple Seduction' if you prefer?"

"That sounds even worse."

"Should have thought of that before you came to me with another one of your metaphors now then shouldn't you?"

"Sometimes I really hate you."

"No you don't."

"I could if I tried."

"You're a terrible liar Chloe. Shush now, I'm trying to think." A few minutes of carefully worked out flow diagrams later and Aubrey turned round to Chloe again. "Now then, first step." Aubrey smiled triumphantly and gestured for Chloe to choose between two arrows leading down two separate paths on the board. Chloe squinted at the question dividing them.

"Barrels onto barrels?" Aubrey huffed indignantly at Chloe's confusion.

"You need to get your eye sight checked. It very clearly says 'Bellas or no Bellas?'."

"I think your handwriting got worse…not that it was particularly legible to begin with." Aubrey just glared at her best friend.

"I'm not going to stick around if you keep making fun of me."

"Alright, I'm sorry!"

"Anyway, back to the point, are we going to involve the other Bellas in this?"

"I….no, not after Lily 'helped' us get Jesse to leave Beca alone."

"It worked though."

"The poor boy looks like he's going to have an aneurysm every time he sees her." Chloe tried to sound sympathetic. She failed.

"You have to admit though, the look on his face was hilarious for the next week was hilarious." Aubrey grinned wryly at the memory.

"I'm not going to deny that I enjoyed it more than I probably should have."

"I wonder why…" Aubrey said sarcastically.

"For the millionth time, my being jealous of Jesse had nothing to do with that."

"Suuuuure it didn't. Do we still have no idea what happened?"

"Nope, all we know is that Lily went into his room with a rope, a lighter and a jar of peanut butter, the next day he apologises to Beca, doesn't even hint at flirting anymore and runs a mile whenever he sees Lily…or peanut butter..."

"Sometimes I wonder about that girl…" Chloe and Aubrey frowned in silence for a moment, pondering the disturbing habits of their friend, then Chloe shook her head to clear it of worrying thoughts.

"I find it's best to not think about it too much."

"Good plan." Aubrey agreed.

"Speaking of which…what is the plan?"

"Right, we're going to start off by getting you to do really coupley things together. Get Beca used to a romantic environment slowly so she doesn't panic and run at the first sign of feelings."

"Oooh, good idea. What are you thinking?" Chloe clapped her hands excitedly as Aubrey began pointing to a list of ideas on the board.

"First things first, start off with contact, lots of contact. Hold her hand, cuddle up to her, always sit next to her, that sort of thing. Real relationshippy stuff."

"Slight flaw."

"What?"

"We already do that." Aubrey met Chloe's blank look with her mouth opening and closing a few times. Eventually she decided not to comment and just proceed as planned.

"Alright then, step two. Get her to go out to meals with you. You don't have to specifically ask her on a date but ask if she wants to go grab a bite or something, then go somewhere really romantic. Ooooh! Like Antonio's!"

"Umm Bree?"

"Yes?"

"We do that too."

"Give little gifts, small things you think she'll appreciate?"

"And that."

"Use affectionate names?"

"And that."

"Send texts letting her know you're thinking about her?"

"And that."

"Seriously Chloe?!" Aubrey exploded.

"Yeah, why do you think I'm into her so much? It's because it's so easy to see how we could work as a couple." Chloe cried frustrated. Aubrey pursed her lips, trying to think through how they were going to get Chloe into Beca's unnaturally thick head.

"…and there's been nothing from her? No sign?"

"No."

"Wow this girl is stupid."

"She is not! She's…she's just a little on the oblivious side is all?"

"You can wave your toner about later, i've got to think now."

"I was n-" Aubrey silenced her with a look. A few minutes later, she had a eureka moment.

"I've got it! Get her to pretend to be your girlfriend!"

"I'm not following."

"Make up some reason why you need her to pretend to be your girlfriend. You get to be even coupleier with her all evening, you get to dress up in something jaw droppingly stunning _and_ she can't retreat when you go in for a kiss. Am I right or am I right?"

"That…that could actually work. My parents are coming to visit in a couple of weeks…" Chloe smiled excitedly.

"Let's get going then."

* * *

"You…I…what?!" Chloe wasn't sure whether she was amused by Beca's spluttering or slightly hurt that the idea seemed so shocking to her. She had been refining the plan for two days and finally felt ready enough to put it in motion. She'd gone straight to Beca's where she had, of course, found the DJ sitting at her computer mixing. Plopping herself on the bed, Chloe had launched straight into her proposition which left the younger girl in front of her speechless.

"Please Becs? It's just one dinner, one evening and I'll owe you big time."

"Chloe...this isn't a good idea, people don't _like_ me." Beca mumbled, toying with her headphones, something Chloe noted she did as a defence mechanism when she was feeling uncertain.

"_I_ like you." Beca let out a brief smile.

"Yeah, but you invade people's showers and force them to sing naked with you. Your opinion isn't valid." The smile hadn't lasted long but Chloe was happy to spot her hands no longer fiddling with the headphones.

"How do you know my parents won't do the same?" Chloe teased.

"Please tell me you're joking?"

"Of course I am, don't be silly." Beca let out a sigh of relief that Chloe had to snicker at. It really was too easy to wind her up.

"Honestly though, Chloe, I am the worst possible person you could have picked for this. I'm moody, anti-social and first impressions really aren't my thing, you saw that at the activities fair."

"Beca, you can be incredibly charming and sweet when you want to be. You're perfect for this, plus you're my best friend, the only person I'd trust with this…well, apart from Aubrey."

"And why can't Aubrey do it?"

"She's like my sister and my parents know that. They'd immediately know something was up if I turned up with Aubrey as my girlfriend, plus, I told them I'd been dating this person for six months already and I tell them everything. They know that, if Aubrey was my girlfriend, I wouldn't have been able to keep it from them this long."

"Why did you even lie to your parents in the first place then Chlo?" Beca cried out, exasperated.

"Mum was freaking out okay?! She kept saying how worried she was that I was devoting too much time to studying or the Bellas and that she was going to introduce me to someone when I came home. I really don't want that so I panicked and said I was already in a relationship and things just sort of…happened from there…." Chloe bit her lip waiting to see what Beca would say but Beca never responded, she seemed stuck. "…Becs?" Beca's gaze snapped up.

"Okay…why can't anyone else do it?" Beca said hesitantly.

"Yeah…when mum called to say they were coming down, she said she expected to meet this mystery person and then she started asking questions and you were the first person I thought of soooo…"

"So it'd be easier to get me to be myself than to get someone else to pretend to be me. Got it." Beca sighed, thumping her head down on the desk.

"Don't be so melodramatic, it won't be for long and you wouldn't really have to act any different to normal."

"Would we have to do…kissing and…stuff?"

"Probably…yeah." Chloe couldn't figure out Beca's facial expression when she said this. It was like the girl was simultaneously happy and devastated. Uncertainty had never been so apparent on Beca's face and Chloe saw her obvious reluctance to do this. "You don't have to you know…if you don't want…." Chloe's small voice somehow seemed even smaller in the silence of the room. Beca sat back up, making the mistake of looking into Chloe's eyes as she did so.

"No! I mean…I can do it, if it'll help you out…pretend that is."

"Really?"

"Really." Chloe squealed and dived from the bed onto an unsuspecting Beca who was very surprised to find her lap suddenly full of excitable red head. "Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou!" Caught up in the moment, Chloe went to give Beca a kiss on the cheek that somehow ended up grazing the side of her mouth. She felt Beca's body go rigid underneath her and quickly slid off. They made awkward conversation briefly before Chloe made her excuses and left, trying (and failing) to keep a wide grin from forming on her face as she went brought up a number on her phone.

"This is Aubrey Posen."

"Pukenator, this is Aca-child, the Pineapple is in the bag, I repeat, the Pineapple is in the bag."

"…I have no idea what you just said."

* * *

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	3. Canoodling

_**THING TO NOTE – Realised I'd made a bit of a mistake. In the first chapter I vaguely suggested that Aubrey and Jesse are together which I am now retracting because I want to do something different which should become apparent soon. I've edited the chapter but I thought I'd better point it out in case it confused anyone so…yeah, just forget that ever happened please? Fantastic. On with the show.**_

* * *

Canoodling

"Operation Midget Seduction is ago!" Chloe stared in horror at her mother who was enthusiastically clapping her hands as she entered the apartment.

"Where did you hear that?"

"Well after you called and explained the situation, I called Aubrey who was far more willing to divulge a decent amount of information on this whole extravaganza and your, what was it again Derek? Ah yes, your 'toner' for this girl." Derek Beale's face took on a slightly nauseous quality as he surveyed his youngest child.

"I don't want to know what that means, do I?"

"It's okay daddy, it's not as bad as it sounds, I swear!" She tried to reassure her father by guiding him to sit down the sofa. Once settled, he shakily questioned her again.

"Uh huh…and operation midget seduction?"

"Just Aubrey being silly, it's fine." Chloe giggled nervously whilst secretly vowing to remove Aubrey's vocal chords with something dull and rusty the next time she saw her.

"Okay…I'd avoid mentioning things like that in front of your brothers though, for this girl's sake. What was her name again?"

"Beca." Chloe couldn't help smiling as she said the name, something of course that Judi Beale did not miss. She let out an odd noise that was somewhere between a squeal and an 'awwww'. For the first time since she'd put this plan into motion, Chloe felt a growing sense of unease about things. Her mother was not exactly a…subtle woman and, having clearly been fully updated on all details of the situation by Aubrey, Chloe was concerned that her mother would take things too far tonight.

The entire evening was a set up in truth, Chloe wasn't lying when she said she told her parents everything. Her parents were already aware that she'd been pining after Beca for some time and her mother had enthusiastically volunteered their services when Chloe rang to hint at Bree's plan. Her father was less enamoured of the idea, his acting skills being about the level of your average stick, but Chloe was his little girl dammit and he lived to make his little girl happy.

"So…how exactly is this going to work?"

"Just pretend like she really is my girlfriend and you're meeting her for the first time. If all goes well then it'll happen soon anyway so it's sort of like we're doing this night in advance." Derek's eyes narrowed slightly as he came to the conclusion that, from this perspective, Beca slotted nicely into his 'Chloe's significant other (to be suspicious of until proven otherwise)' category. Chloe felt her stomach sink as she spotted the signs of protectiveness settle on her father's face.

"Daddy…you're not going to be mean are you?"

"I'll make sure she's good enough for you. That's all."

"Oh Derek! Don't be such a misery guts, tonight is about pushing these two crazy young kids together!" Judi beamed at her only daughter. Derek continued to scowl.

"So when is she getting here?"

Chloe gulped.

* * *

Aubrey irritably snatched up the incessantly ringing phone that was ruining her meditation time. "This is Aubrey Posen."

"Aubrey! Help!"

"Where are you and do I need bail money?"

"No…I…No! Why on earth did you think you would need bail money?" An indignant voice replied.

"Because it honestly wouldn't surprise me if you got arrested."

"I'm insulted."

"Chloe, you went into a stranger's shower. Naked."

"One time! And now I'm pretty certain I'm going to marry that person so that doesn't count."

"Not to mention there was that incident with the goat."

"…let's move on shall we?"

"Yes. Let's. What's the problem?"

"You and my bloody mother suddenly being best phone buddies is my problem! Why did you think it would be a good idea to tell my mother all the details of the plan?"

"Judi can be very…persuasive when she wants to be. Sorry."

"You should be, she's 'strategising' in the kitchen right now."

"Oh no."

"Not to mention my dad's got it into his head that Beca is actually my girlfriend and he needs to be all scary and intimidating to make sure she's 'worthy' or something."

"That's hardly a problem. Derek is about as frightening as a teddy bear wrapped in a blanket."

"Hey, how come you're allowed to do metaphors?"

"Because that was a simile, not a metaphor. There's a difference."

"Bu-"

"My point is that Derek Beale is incapable of being scary."

"That's because you've never seen him angry. You remember that guy I broke up with in high school who wouldn't leave me alone?"

"Yeah, Will, I remember."

"He only quit bugging me after my dad went to have a 'friendly chat' with him."

"…really?"

"Really really."

"Wow…go Derek, didn't know he had it in him."

"Why can we never stay on topic?"

"I don't know, we really ought to sort that."

"Another time? Perhaps when my parents aren't about to scare off the girl of my dreams?"

"Calm down Chloe, you have nothing to worry about."

"...what do you know?"

"I do beg your pardon?"

"If there's one thing Aubrey Rosanna Posen does, it's obsess over a plan. You're not obsessing, that means you know something. Now spill."

"My lips are sealed."

"Aubrey!"

"All I will say is that I concur with your initial assessment of the subject."

"Huh?"

"Oh for the love of…I'm agreeing with you woman! Beca is a pineapple. I see it now."

"Could you not have just said that?"

"If you insist of on using weird codenames to confuse me then I'm going to use proper language until you learn how to use it."

"Hey! I promised to stop calling you Pukenator!"

"Only after I threatened to tell Amy what really happened to her chocolates."

"That's beside the point."

"I think it's entirely relevant to the point."

"Would you stop changing the subject? Why are you suddenly agreeing that Beca's a pineapple?"

"…"

"Bree?"

"…"

"Aubrey?!"

"…"

"Okay! Fine, I'll leave it alone. I'm still worried about this dinner though and seeing as you won't tell me about your sudden change of heart, I'm going to need an emergency exit strategy for tonight."

"Emergency exit strategy?"

"You know, a way to get Beca and I out of there if my parents get too intense."

"…what if I lurked?"

"What do you mean?"

"I'll come along, hang out close by and observe the evening. If things look like they're going sour or you give me a signal or something, I'll come rushing in and say there's a Bella crisis which Derek and Judi can't come along to because one of the Bellas is having a personal problem."

"Sometimes I want to hate you for always having a solution."

"You wouldn't survive five seconds without me."

"I know, it's quite depressing really."

"Thank you for that glowing testimonial to our friendship."

"Oh shush Bree, you know I love you. Now, what are we going to call this retreat plan? Oooh, I have an idea…"

"Don't you dare."

"The Great Pukenator Pullout?"

"We are so not best friends anymore."

* * *

It shouldn't really be possible for a knock to sound timid yet somehow Beca managed it. Before Chloe could stop her, Judi was flinging the door open and greeting Beca the only way the Beales knew how, with a full blown body hug.

"Beca darling! It's wonderful to meet you at last!" Chloe grew worried at the odd muffled noises coming from the figure currently wrapped in her mother's arms.

"Mum! You're hurting her!"

"Oh, so sorry my dear, are you okay?" A slightly wheezing Beca looked traumatised beyond belief but nevertheless she managed a shaky nod of the head. Judi gently patted Beca on the back and steered her into the kitchen. Chloe followed, hoping to snag Beca away for a brief pep talk before the evening began.

She'd had time in the past week or so to fully brief Beca on her parents and things a girlfriend of six months should know about her family to ensure the ruse was convincing but she still wanted to have a brief check in to make sure Beca was okay with everything. It clearly wasn't going to happen though, Beca was already stood nervously in front of her father's glare. Chloe could already see this was going to end in disaster by the rigidity of Beca's body and the stern look her father was fixing on the smaller girl.

Then something changed, Beca's spine straightened (bringing her about level with Derek's chest), she looked straight into his eyes and extended a steady hand towards him.

"Good evening sir, I'm Beca Mitchell." Derek Beale did not shake her hand. His arms folded firmly across his chest as he inspected the short woman in front of him.

"You do drugs?"

"No."

"Do you smoke?"

"No."

"Do you drink?"

"Yes." Derek seemed momentarily thrown by the honesty as Beca was so clearly underage.

"What are your plans for the future?"

"I want to be a music producer."

"Tough profession. Do you think you can do it?"

"Yes."

"You're confident."

"There's no point second guessing myself, everyone else is already going to do that for me. I need to show people I can do this."

"Do you intend on mistreating my daughter?"

"Definitely not."

"You care about Chloe?"

"Of course."

"Why?"

"She's the best friend I ever had."

"And you believe you deserve her?"

"Not entirely, I'll always try and keep her happy though." Derek looked at Beca shrewdly for a moment. Chloe's eyes had been flitting back and forth between the two like she was watching a tennis match. There was now a tension in the air as everyone waited to see what happened next. His face cracked into a small smile as he finally unfolded his arm and gripped Beca's hand that had been awkwardly held in front of him for the entire interrogation.

"It's nice to meet you too Beca."

"Thank you sir." She had been fantastically self-assured and bold through Derek's questioning but Chloe didn't miss the small sigh of relief escaping Beca when Derek moved past her to stand next to his wife. It was only when she brought the bag in her other hand within reach of the two that Chloe realised Beca had even been carrying something. Judi looked enquiringly at the bag.

"Is this for me?" Beca nodded. Judi let out a gasp of happiness as she reached into the bag and pulled out a bottle of wine. Chloe didn't have to look long to recognise the label as her mother's preferred choice of wine.

"Oh aren't you a sweetie! This is simply divine Beca!"

"I thought it might be handy to have some bribing material on hand in case things went south." Beca jumped slightly as Derek let out a loud barking laugh. He turned to look at his youngest.

"I like this one."

"Well…so do I." Chloe smiled.

"I'm going to leave this here for later." Judi said, placing the wine on the kitchen counter. "Shall we start heading to the restaurant?"

"Yes, good idea." Derek nodded. Chloe paused, she still wanted to speak to Beca.

"…would you mind if you two started walking and we caught up? I just want to talk to Becs for a sec." Judi smiled knowingly.

"Sure thing honey. Your father and I will wait downstairs for you."

"No…canoodling." Derek said firmly, looking at Beca.

"Daddy!"

"What?" Derek asked, confused by what he'd done wrong.

"Come on Derek, you've scared the poor girl enough already." Chloe finally allowed herself the breath she didn't realise she'd been holding as her parents shuffled out of the door (Judi clearly trying to explain the finer points of conversation to her husband as they went). She turned to look at Beca who was still staring at the door after her parents.

"Well it's easy to see where you get your forwardness from."

"Was that okay? I mean, you're not freaked out or anything are you?"

"No, that went better than I was expecting to be honest." Beca finally turned to look at Chloe.

"Oh thank goodness, I love my parents but I know they can be a handful. You were brilliant Beca."

"…"

"Beca?"

"…"

"My eyes are up here Beca."

"Huh?"

"It's too much isn't it? I wasn't sure about this dress, do you think I should go change?"

"No. It's a good dress."

"You're sure?"

"A very good dress. Don't change."

"Okay." Chloe smiled as she walked over to Beca and looped her arm through the younger girl's. "Shall we?"

"Sure thing…honey." Chloe had to laugh at the almost pained way Beca dragged out the term of endearment. "What?" The DJ asked, looking affronted.

"What are you doing?"

"Pet names, couples do that sort of stuff don't they?"

"Beca, us being a couple wouldn't change how we interact with one another and I know you would never ever start calling me stuff like 'shnookums' unless it was to take the piss. So don't do it now. Just be yourself."

"…okay, I can do that." Beca gave Chloe a small smile that did funny things to her insides as they exited the flat. They made their way downstairs while Chloe shot off a quick text to Aubrey to double check everything was sorted.

_Ready and in position? Xx_

_Affirmative. How will I know if you need help? Xx_

_I'll start talking about craving oranges. Listen out for it. Xx_

_Not pineapples? xx_

_I always crave pineapple, it goes without saying. xx_

"Why are you and Aubrey talking about pineapples?" Beca asked curiously, having caught sight of the last text.

"No reason." Chloe smiled, her face taking on a mischievous quality…which quickly turned into a look of abject horror as they exited Chloe's building to find that Derek and Judi had clearly decided to pass the time by doing a little 'canoodling' of their own.

* * *

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_**50 Shades of Pitch Perfect**_

_**anon**_


	4. Parents And Unexpected Bellas

_**I am very sorry for the delay on this, I think I have a fairly decent excuse. Moved into a new flat and was told the internet couldn't be installed until the 10**__**th**__** July. Ran through my mobile data in two days flat so, long story short, I have been completely without internet for nearly two weeks. No internet. At all. Two weeks. I swear I nearly killed someone. I actually decided to hike it back to my parent's house I got so bored.**_

_**In other news, have you seen the gifset Bechlohuh did based on the first chapter of 'Beca Is A Pineapple'? If you haven't, go see it, go see it now. It's so awesome and I just…kjfnjadsjfdfso, SO AWESOME. **_

* * *

Parents and Unexpected Bellas

As soon as they entered the restaurant, Chloe steered the party towards a carefully selected table near the large glass windows that looked out on to a park. Aubrey (being Aubrey) had scoped the place out earlier and presented Chloe with a colour coordinated chart of the tables most ideally suited for visibility from where Aubrey would be stationed in the car outside. The designated table had been chosen because the car park was slightly off to the side, meaning that Aubrey could hang about in her car without being visible from the restaurant, but still had a clear view in in case of trouble.

Within five seconds of seating themselves, Derek and Judi seemed to have started bickering about chairs and whatnot (Derek! Your chair is on my dress! – It is not, you've got it caught on the back!) during which Beca seized the opportunity to whisper in Chloe's ear.

"Chlo, I'm not sure I can do this. I already 99% certain your dad secretly hates me."

"Don't be silly Becs, he shook your hand didn't he?"

"Yeah, but then he interrogated me on the walk over here! He kept asking the same thing over and over like he was waiting for me to slip up."

"He used to do that all the time with me when I went out, it's his way of making sure you're not lying if your answers suddenly start changing. We'd be in trouble if he didn't shake your hand but he did so that means you're halfway there approval wise."

"Really?"

"Really, besides, I've got Aubrey on standby in case we need a get out. There's nothing to worry about." Chloe reached up and cupped Beca's face to give it a comforting thumb stroke but got distracted along the way by Beca's mouth. Her lip were just so pink and tempt-CLICK.

Beca and Chloe jumped apart to see Judi smiling from behind a camera.

"Oh aren't you two simply _adorable_. Do it again."

"Uhm…sorry Mrs Be-"

"Beca sweetie, if you call me Mrs Beale one more time, you're not going to like what comes next. It's Judi."

"Sorry Mrs...I mean Judi…ma'am."

"No ma'am's either. Judi."

"Judi."

"There we go, now scoot back together so I can get another picture!" Beca shuffled her chair back towards Chloe by a fraction.

"Closer!"

Another fraction.

"Closer!"

Another fraction. Derek's eyes began to narrow at Beca. Beca gulped.

"Closer!" Chloe shot her mother a warning look but Judi merely smiled mischievously back at her daughter and yelled 'closer' once more. Chloe sighed and slid all the way towards Beca until they were pressed firmly together and allowed her arms to slip around the tiny brunette. She brought her mouth to Beca's ear and whispered.

"She's not going to stop unless we give her something to coo over. Just…go with it? Please." Beca cautiously placed her arms around Chloe, taking care to avoid any danger zones by monitoring Derek's facial expression. Satisfied that Beca wasn't doing anything inappropriate, Derek nodded. Chloe felt Beca's sigh of relief cut short as she placed her hand on the smaller girl's thigh. Chloe had no such qualms about her father's wrath and, hey, she if she got the opportunity to touch Beca then she wasn't going to waste it. They smiled at the camera as another 'click' went off, blinding Beca and Chloe as it did so…but Judi wasn't appeased yet.

"Okay, let's have a kiss then."

"Judi." Derek's warning tone seemed to have little effect on his wife.

"Oh hush Derek. Now, pucker up!"

"Um…Judi…I'm really not so great with the whole PDA thing." Beca said, extracting her arms from around Chloe.

"You sure you can't manage one tiny little kiss?" Beca nervously eyed Derek who seemed to be twirling his steak knife around with unnerving precision.

"I'm sorry but I have to insist on this. I was always taught it was rude, especially at dinner and I'm afraid I just wouldn't be comfortable." Beca said firmly.

"A girl of principles…I like that." Derek smiled, laying his knife back down.

"Spoilsport. This is your fault somehow." Judi eyed her husband suspiciously.

"Me? What did I do?" And like that, Judi and Derek fell into another amicable bickering session. Chloe spoke in hushed tones to Beca.

"Not comfortable with PDA?"

"Yeah, I thought about it on the way over here. Good plan right? Means you don't have to kiss me." Beca smiled.

"Yeah…good plan Becs…" Chloe said softly, trying to keep the disappointment out of her voice. Beca's face was barely a few inches from hers. She was so close to the thing she wanted most yet so far away. It would be fantastically simple to lean over and-

"Um…Chlo?"

"Huh? Yes, I'm listening."

"Your hand is still on my thigh."

"Oh…okay." Chloe gave it a gentle squeeze before moving away, enjoying the sudden mini coughing fit it seemed to induce in Beca.

"Oh Beca honey, are you okay?" Judi asked, her attention having been regained by the noise. Beca nodded wheezily at the Beale matriarch. Judi returned to looking at Derek curiously. "I know you did something and I'll get it out of you later. We'll have dinner for now though. So...Beca, how did you and Chloe first meet?"

* * *

**Aubrey POV**

Bored, bored, bored, bored. I am so bored. So very, very boooooored. Bored, bored, bored, bored. I am so bored. So very, very boooooored. Bored, bored, bored, bored. I am so bored. So very, very boooooored. Bored, bored, bored, bored. I am so bored. So very, very boooooored. Bored, bored, bored, bored. I am so bored. So very, very boooooored. Bored, bored, bored, bored. I am so bored. So very, very boooooored.

…I wonder how much I can blackmail Chloe with this?

Sigh…bored, bored, bored, bored. I am so bored. So very, very boooooored…

* * *

"…then when I eventually let go of the chandelier, Derek was the one who caught me and the rest, as they say, is history." Judi finished dramatically with a sip of her wine.

"And you were naked the entire time all this was happening?" Beca laughed incredulously.

"Yes my dear, and that is why you should _never_ get involved in game of strip truth or dare at a frat house."

"I wasn't planning on it." Beca smirked. Chloe and her father were both leaned back in their chairs, observing the two women who had been thoroughly engaged in conversation all through dinner. It warmed Chloe's heart to see how well they were getting on. There was also that unfortunate pang of discomfort in her chest every time she remembered this wasn't real. A nudge on her arm caught her attention.

"Hey, why the glum look little Chlobo?" Derek asked in hushed tones.

"Daddy, you realise I'm in my twenties now? Maybe it's time to retire the nickname?" Chloe smiled indulgently at her father.

"Never. First time I heard you try and say your own name was the most adorable thing I've ever seen and I'm never going to stop reminding you of it." He teased. "Anyway, there is something upsetting you and I want to know what."

"Just remembering that none of this is real."

"Oh little Chlobo, of course it's real."

"But this whole thing is fake."

"You may not be together but the way her and your mother are getting on is real, the way she was honest with me was real, the way you look at each other is real."

"The way we look at _each other_?"

"Mhhm. The reason I went along with this whole charade is because I wanted to figure out what kind of person she is, whether or not she'd be good for you. Now I've not had much of a chance to have a real conversation with her because your mother's been hogging her all evening, but I don't need any more time to tell she cares about you. It's in the way her eyes always slide back to you even realising she's doing it, like she can't keep away, and _that_ is the main reason she has my approval."

"…really?"

"Would I lie to you?"

"Never." Chloe smiled, reaching over to give her dad a hug. They sighed happily as they took in the cheerily chatting couple on the other side of the table.

"There sit the two most important women in our lives. Breath taking aren't they?"

"Yeah." Chloe sighed happily.

* * *

Aubrey Posen was not having a good time. She'd assumed a rescue would be needed fairly promptly and so hadn't bothered to bring a book. Judging by the smiles from the people sitting at the table, her services weren't going to be needed tonight which meant she faced another while sitting in a far too cramped car passing the time with thinking of different ways to sing the word 'bored' in her head.

At least they were on the desserts, surely that meant not too long to go now? A part of her was still on edge, waiting for something to happen. Aubrey didn't know why but she had a feeling something was going to…oh crap, was that Stacie?

* * *

Inside the restaurant, Chloe was trying not to get too optimistic but the evening was drawing to a close and there was yet to be an incident that left her panicking. It all seemed so…normal.

Nope, there was no way anything could go wrong now.

* * *

Outside in the car, Aubrey was eyeing the approaching Stacie like a hawk. Clearly the other Bella had decided to take an evening stroll through the park that the restaurant looked out over. If Stacie saw the foursome currently seated for dinner, she was bound to try and say hi, she was a sociable creature like that. Aubrey panicked, wondering what on earth she would do if Stacie spotted them. There was no way Beca would keep up the pretence with another person around, even with Chloe's parents there. She'd recoil and a whole evening of carefully organised matchmaking would come crashing down as Beca denied the relationship between herself and Chloe.

Oh no, there it was. Aubrey could see it on her face, the look of realisation slowly dawning as Stacie peered in through the window and recognised the figures seated at the table, two of them closer than 'just friends' ought to be. Aubrey saw it all…the hand coming up to wave to the dinner party, the ready and excitable 'hey guys!' at her lips, the curiosity on her face at Chloe and Beca's proximity.

She couldn't let this happen, they'd worked too hard and too long getting this evening in place. She had to stop Stacie before anyway at the table realised what was happening. So she did the only reasonable thing she felt she could do. She flung herself out the car, she ran full tilt across the parking lot into the park and she took Stacie down with a full on body tackle.

"H-OOPH!"

* * *

"Huh?"

"What is it Becs?"

"I could have sworn I just saw…never mind."

* * *

Aubrey and Stacie were close enough to the glass that they could hear Beca's questioning. Aubrey hyperventilated at just how close they had come to the plan failing and the feel of Stacie's body beneath her own…wait, what?

…moving on.

"Wh-!" Aubrey quickly placed her hand over Stacie's mouth and gave an urgent 'shhh!' to the girl before removing it once more and motioning for Stacie to sneak back over to the car with her. The still wincing Bella followed Aubrey, doing an awkward crouch shuffle thing as they did so, so they weren't visible to the dinner party. Once back in the car, Stacie wasted no time in questioning her captain."

"Aubrey…WHAT THE HELL?!"

"Stacie I am so so _so_ sorry but I had to do it. You were about to ruin a match making plan that Chloe and I have been working on and I didn't have time to think so I did the first thing I could to stop you."

"If you wanted to be on top off me Aubrey all you had to do was ask." Stacie winked.

"Very funny Stacie. I did this for Chloe and Beca."

"Chloe and Beca? You're matchmaking Chloe and Beca?"

"Yes."

"Ugh, finally! I'm glad someone's finally doing something about it."

"What do you mean?"

"If there's one thing I understand, it's sexual tension and those two have so much of it that _I_ get sexually frustrated when I'm around them."

"Aren't you always sexually frustrated?"

"Are you offering to help out?"

"Do you ever stop?"

"With you? No."

"Anyway, Chloe's been trying to get Beca's attention for a while now so we decided to actually plan a seduction. Tonight we managed to get Beca to pretend to be Chloe's girlfriend in front of her parents to try and get Beca used to the idea."

"Isn't that a bit…obvious?"

"You'd think so but apparently Beca is about as dense as a brick wall when it comes to figuring out someone's interested in her. Chloe's getting impatient with just how frustratingly oblivious Beca is."

"I understand how she feels." Stacie muttered.

"Huh? What was that?"

"Nothing."

"Are you okay? You look pained…"

"It's fine, my ankle is a little sore is all."

"Hmmm, well I think Chloe's going to be fine tonight. I'll take you home so we can get some ice on it. Let me just phone Chloe so she knows what's going on."

"Okay."

* * *

"Do you want any coffee Beca dear?"

"I'm alright thank you."

"I'd like one!" Chloe looked hopefully at her mother.

"No Chloe sweetie, no." Judi shook her head disapprovingly at her daughter.

"Please? I doesn't make me _that_ hyper." Three sets of eyebrows raised in unison at the red head. "Oh fine! No coffee, message received. Oh, I think Bree's ringing me actually, hang on, I'll be back in a sec." Chloe went and stood away from the table so she could take the call. "Hey Bree, what's up? Is something wrong?"

"Long story short, you owe me big time, Stacie now knows minor details and I need to drive her home where she will probably interrogate me and get all details."

"What? But…ugh, okay…was that what Beca saw earlier?"

"Probably. You're fine here aren't you?"

"Yeah, my mum's having a coffee then we're leaving, I think we're okay."

"Fabulous. How do you think it's gone?"

"The only way it could get more perfect is if Beca and I now went home and had insanely hot sex."

"You're unbelievable."

"I think you mean un-BEALE-evable."

"Oh god…"

"Get it? Un-BEALE-evable?"

"Get help Chloe." Aubrey said and hung up.

* * *

_**Thank you so much to all the following reviewers. Everyone who followed or favourited this story also. Every email I get makes me smile and go all gooey inside.**_

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	5. Cushion Forts And Dorm Dwelling

_**Bit of a filler chapter here but I had a shitty 10 hour day doing first aid at an event with more over protective mothers than can be considered reasonable and then KFC decided to take my money but not give me half my order. I needed to de-stress so this happened. It is going somewhere though, I promise.**_

* * *

Cushion Forts And Dorm Dwelling

Aubrey grunted disapprovingly as she entered the apartment and spotted a familiar ball of red huddled on the sofa. "You're going to have to stop moping some time" she commented as she moved to the kitchen and began unpacking groceries.

"I'm not moping." Came the muffled reply.

"You haven't moved from that sofa in two days."

"I like it here."

"Or stopped hugging that cushion."

"It's a nice cushion."

"I'm not even going to comment on the amount of Oreo wrappers surrounding you right now."

"It's a new diet."

"Really? That's what you're going with?"

"Oreos can be nutritious…" Aubrey wandered back into the living room and frowned sternly at the sad blue eyes peering up at her from underneath the oversized cushion.

"Chloe, normally I'm very happy to let you go into your odd little depression spirals because sooner or later you bounce back and drag me on some crazy health kick with you…but this is getting ridiculous now. When I told you to get out of bed I didn't mean you should move straight to the sofa and resume listening to tragic love ballads from the 90's."

"But I kissed her Bree! I kissed her and now she's not talking to me!" Chloe exclaimed, finally bringing her full face into view.

"Pfft, from what you tell me it was barely a kiss. Ever thought she might be busy?"

"She hasn't texted me in five days. Five days! I can't remember the last time we didn't talk for that long…I freaked her out and now she hates me."

"Would you stop being so melodramatic?"

"No. It works for me." Chloe mumbled petulantly.

"Well it doesn't work for me nor does the smell it creates in the apartment. This stops now. Posen's don't quit."

"But I'm a Beale."

"But you got a Posen involved which means we're seeing this through one way or another. Run me through it one more time?" Aubrey asked, settling herself next to the despondent singer.

"Okay, so we left the restaurant and everything was going really well. We were even holding hands and everything felt amazing but then instead of coming back up the flat with me and my parents, Beca said she had to go do some prep for her shift at the radio station. My dad shook her hand and we eventually convinced my mother to let go of her and everything felt so real that I forgot for a moment so when she said 'bye' I just sort of leant in and…yeah…kissed her. Right on the mouth. It was barely a few seconds but oh god it was perfect…"

"How did she react?" Aubrey was forced to snap her fingers in front of the dazed red heads face.

"Hmm?" Chloe's smile slid off her face as Aubrey brought her back.

"How did she react?" Aubrey repeated slowly.

"She didn't really…not that I could see. She froze and that made me realise what I'd done so I went inside straight away and dragged my parents with me."

"Maybe she liked it?"

"Uh uh. You should have seen the look on her face Bree, it was like I'd slapped her."

"So when did she start ignoring you?"

"I haven't heard anything from her at all…"

"How many messages have you left her?"

"…none."

"Chloe….when you say she's been ignoring you…have you actually tried to get in contact with her at all?" Chloe's sheepish look told Aubrey everything. "Chloe! What if she's sitting around in her dorm room moping because _you're _ignoring _her._"

"I thought she'd be panicking so it was best to wait for her to come to me…"

"Trust me, it is far more out of character for you to not be invading her space and texting her every five minutes than for her to. I thought ignoring you was a bit after odd after all the effort she went to."

"What do you mean?"

"Before the dinner, she came to me for advice on the best way to approach your parents and the best thing she could take as a gift."

"Really?" Chloe's face brightened with hope for the first time in five days.

"Of course, why do you think I changed my mind about her? She'd never come to me voluntarily unless you meant enough to her that she wanted to make a good impression on your parents. It was actually rather adorable watching her try to ask me for help."

"Wow…."

"Indeed."

"I need her Bree. I really do." Chloe murmured.

"I think you need to work on your romancing skills. One doesn't traditionally refuse to speak to the object of their affections."

"Would it kill you to stop speaking like you swallowed a dictionary?"

"Yes."

"Ugh…maybe I should just turn up at her dorm completely naked?"

"At this rate I'm starting to think she'd merely hand you a towel and ask what happened to your clothes."

"Probably." Chloe pouted.

"We'll have a Bella bonding night tomorrow so you can get back to undressing her with your eyes instead of making a different fort out of the cushions each day."

"You helped me build them!"

"...tell anyone I enjoy building cushion forts and I will end you. Anyway, I need to go meet Stacie soon, I'll tell her to go check on the midget on her way back seeing as she knows everything now. She's been itching for something to do ever since she found out. She can be our official Beca spy. It wouldn't surprise me if she's been curled up into an anti-social little ball in her bed same as you."

"Since when do you and Stacie hang out outside of Bellas rehearsals?"

"We don't really, this will be the first time. We ended up talking the other night after your dinner and she's surprisingly pleasant company. Once you look past the flirting, she's a lot more intelligent than you'd think, passionate too…."

"Bree?"

"Hmm?"

"You okay? You drifted off for a moment there…"

"It's fine, it's nothing."

"Sure?"

"Sure…now get up. I want this place straightened out before I'm back from seeing Stacie."

"But-"

"Move aca-bitch!"

"Okay, I'm going! Jeez, what did your last slave die of?" Aubrey heard Chloe mumble mutinously as she hauled herself up.

"I may or may not have beat her to death with a lamp after she refused to clean the living room." Aubrey said sweetly, relishing the way Chloe's tidying suddenly had a lot more vigour to it.

* * *

_**Thanks to the following for reviewing:**_

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	6. Beca's Got Moves

_**I had fun writing this one, hope you have fun reading it.**_

* * *

Beca's Got Moves

"Alright ladies what's the plan?" Aubrey said with authority, standing in front of the assembled Bellas in the flat she shared with Chloe.

"Why does there always have to be a plan? Can't we just go where the night takes us?" Cynthia Rose asked.

"Not since Stacie took us to that strip club." There was a murmur of assent from around the room. Nobody had been overly fond of that evening.

"What was wrong with it?" Stacie pouted.

"I'm pretty sure I got chlamydia from looking at the place Stace." Beca deadpanned from her position on the sofa where, predictably, Chloe was curled into her side. After Stacie had confirmed Beca was living a hermit like status, Aubrey and herself had yanked the two out of their respective hovels and sent them to go talk things over…so naturally they had both completely ignored the issue, pretended they'd been insanely busy for five days and had reverted back to their odd 'just friends' dynamic. Aubrey shook her head disapprovingly at Chloe who was staring at Beca with a sickeningly happy smile.

"Come on ladies, let's have some ideas."

"I collect teeth from dead people."

"Fascinating Lily. Any other suggestions?"

"I heard there's a new place open about twenty minutes away that's supposed to be good?" Jessica offered. Aubrey pursed her lips, mulling it over.

"I don't know…an unknown venue is a dangerous one. We have no idea what it's like there."

"Loosen up twiggy, you don't have to have a peer reviewed assessment of everywhere we go." Amy teased.

"Hmmmm." Came the uncertain reply.

"It's karaoke night tonight as well…" Jessica said. Nine sets of eyes looked pleadingly at Aubrey.

"Okay! Fine. Everyone _is _going to take their rape whistle with them though." A collective groan ran through the room.

"That's the deal ladies. We want to have a fun night but we need to stay safe while we're at it."

"But I have to put it somewhere really uncomfortable so it doesn't show." Stacie moaned.

"Where do you…you know what? Never mind, I don't think I want to know. Who's going to be designated carers?" A system the Bellas had developed…well, Aubrey had developed that the Bellas adhered to after a few incidents that proved it was a good idea, was that there was always to be one or two people who remained sober when they went out in case of emergencies. It seemed overly cautious but with such an eclectic bunch of ladies (and one hell of a crazy Australian thrown into the mix) it had proved useful almost every time they went out. "I've got to work tomorrow so I'm more than happy to do it."

"I can help you until midnight Aubrey, I've got the night shift at the station so I'll need to go then anyway." Beca offered.

"What? You're not staying?" Chloe exclaimed, fingers curling around Beca's bicep instinctively.

"You'll find someone else to dance with I'm sure." Chloe's big baby blues were on Beca in seconds. "Uh uh, none of that. Luke's finally trusting me more, I need to do this if I'm going to get anywhere Chlo."

"Oh fine, but you're mine until midnight little DJ." Chloe huffed.

"Suits me." Beca smiled back at Chloe who couldn't resist giving Beca a smile of her own.

"Flirt later aca-bitches, I'm ready to get wild!" Aubrey and Beca exchanged nervous glances at Amy's outburst and the enthusiastic whooping that came from the rest of the Bellas. This was going to be an interesting night.

* * *

"Oh. My. _God_."

"Mouth closed Chloe."

"I am so turned on right now."

"I can tell. You're drooling."

"I don't even care. I need all of _that_…" Chloe motioned to the stage where Beca was effortlessly strutting around with what could only be described as an outrageous amount of swag. "…all up on this." Chloe motioned to herself.

"_So get my money on time, if they not money, decline_

_I just can't worry 'bout no haters, gotta stay on my grind_

_Now tell me, who that, who that? That do that, do that?_

_Put that paper over all, I thought you knew that, knew that_

_I be the B-E-C-A, put my name in bold_

_I been working, I'm up in here with some change to throw"_

Chloe made a noise somewhere between a moan and a pant as Beca confidently launched into the chorus. "Okay, and we're taking this." Aubrey removed the drink from her best friend's hand.

"Hey! I was enjoying that!"

"You're already tipsy Chloe, if I let you have any more you'll probably try and mount her on stage."

"I don't see a problem with that right now." Chloe eyed the singing girl hungrily.

"Control your hormones woman. Honestly, I swear you're worse than Stacie."

"You called?" Aubrey turned around to find Stacie standing very close behind her.

"Where did you appear from?"

"I always know when I'm wanted." Stacie grinned wickedly at her captain. "Come and dance with me Bree, let your hair down for a bit."

"I would but I need to take care of…Chloe? Where's she gone?" Whistles, cat calls and an overly enthusiastic wolf howl from Amy let Aubrey know exactly where Chloe had slinked off to. "Dammit Chloe." Aubrey seethed at the red head who was now enthusiastically dancing with a rapping Beca on stage.

"Damn, Beca's got moves." Stacie said wide eyed. Aubrey tried not to focus on the way Stacie was now groping her own boobs.

"They're going to get arrested for public indecency at this rate." Aubrey muttered.

"Just let it happen Bree. Anyway, now that Chloe's no longer here, you're out of excuses." Stacie said, dragging Aubrey to the dance floor. "Come on, let's see if you can find where I stashed my rape whistle. I'll give you a hint, it's not in my clutch." Aubrey gulped.

* * *

**Two Hours Later**

"You can't leave if I don't let you go." Chloe's muffled voice came from the junction of Beca's neck where she had elected to bury her head.

"You have to let go of her eventually sweetie." Aubrey said impatiently. They'd been standing outside for about twenty minutes now trying to convince Chloe to release Beca. Someone had evidently been feeding the red head more booze though and she wasn't in the mood to be cooperative. It was the wrong thing to say apparently, Chloe wrapped herself even more firmly around a blushing Beca.

"Chlo, I'm already going to be late." Beca coaxed, gently trying to prise Chloe off her.

"No, you should be here with me." Chloe mumbled, still clinging to Beca like a baby koala.

"I'm going to get into trouble if you don't let me go." Chloe's head peered up at that.

"…I don't want you to get into trouble."

"If you let me go then we can hang out all day tomorrow yeah?" Beca reassured her in a slow voice, trying to get her to see reason.

"Promise?"

"I promise."

"You have to pinky swear." Chloe announced, holding out her pinky.

"Chloe…" Beca laughed.

"_Pinky swear_." Chloe scowled, insistently thrusting the finger in the younger girl's face.

"Okay, alright, I pinky swear, see?" Beca spoke quickly and performed a pinky shake to appease the red head. Chloe smiled and gave Beca one last firm hug.

"I'm going to miss you Beca."

"I'll miss you too Red but I really have to go now."Beca said, detaching herself from Chloe.

"Okay…." Chloe pouted.

"Take care of her please Aubrey?" Beca asked her worriedly.

"Of course I will. It's what I do." Aubrey and Beca nodded with mutual understanding to each other before Beca disappeared off into the night. Aubrey turned around to find that Chloe had once again managed to slip away from her. Re-entering the bar, Aubrey wasn't surprised to find an already morose Chloe slamming back shots with Cynthia Rose. She groaned. She knew exactly how this evening was going to end.

* * *

**One Hour Later**

"Chloe! Put. It. _Down_."

"No!"

"Chloe Elizabeth Beale, I am trying to help you here."

"Leggoome Bree!

"Chloe don't be diffi-ARGH"

"You taste weird."

"You just bit me!"

"I do what I want Bree! WHY ARE YOU TRYING TO OPPRESS ME?"

"Would you stop using your ass as a hat already? You are way too wasted to be in charge of that phone and I know you're going to regret calling Beca in the morning."

"But I wannaaaaaaaaaa."

"No, friends don't let friends drink and dial."

"I'm gunna call Beca and tell her you're being mean."

"Five minutes ago you said you wanted to call alt girl and confess your undying love!"

"…that too."

"Chloe, please listen to me, this is a bad move, just wait till morning."

"No! She's gotta knoooow."

"Chloe, I don't want to have to do this but I will sit on you if I have to."

"Pfft, you're like a twig, I can take you."

"Right, that's it, don't say I didn't warn you."

"Ack, Aubrey! No!"

"You brought this on yourself!"

"How'd you do that?"

"Amy gave me a few wrestling pointers."

"That's cheating! Ugh…why…why you so heavy?"

"Quit wriggling."

"No!"

"I'll take that thank you."

"Hey! S'my rape whistle!"

"You were about to abuse it."

"Was not."

"Yes you were."

"Only coz you won't get off! And gimme my phone back!"

"No. You can have it back in the morning when you're in a better frame of mind. If you want to go and make a huge overly dramatic speech about how you want Beca and her alternative little aca-babies, then go right ahead. I'm all in favour of that, but not when you're drunk. It's a bad mov-ARRRRGH. DAMMIT CHLOE. STOP BITING ME!"

* * *

_**Thanks to all the following reviewers and of course those who have favourite and/or followed this:**_

_**potatehoe**_

_**percabethatw**_

_**Asswipe (patience dear one, it's no fun if they just jump straight into it ;D )**_

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_**Guest**_

_**Huh (thank you, I also want to say thank you for your review on 'Counts Of Four', really made me happy)**_

_**Snow White Misery**_


	7. Something Odd

Something Odd

Chloe squealed helplessly and tried to retreat into her duvet when she was brought hurtling into consciousness by Aubrey standing above her repeatedly banging on a sauce pan with a wooden spoon.

"WAKEY WAKEY. TIME TO GET UP."

"PLEASE STOP."

"RISE AND SHINE. UP AND AT 'EM."

"AUBREY WHY?" Chloe cried, trying to make herself heard over the cacophony of noise. Aubrey desisted when she saw she had a groaning Chloe's attention.

"Small bit of pay back for last night." Aubrey smiled sweetly at her best friend clutching her head.

"I am _so _sorry Bree." Chloe whimpered as flashes of last night made their way into her brain.

"You should be. I don't appreciate being your own personal chew toy."

"I swear it won't happen again."

"Yes it will."

"No, I mean it Aubrey. I won't behave that way again." Chloe began shaking her head but abruptly stopped when she felt the nausea begin to creep up on her with the movement.

"Yes you will Chloe."

"No I-"

"_Yes_ Chloe. This is going to keep happening until you resolve these feelings with Beca one way or another. You're an emotional drunk and by continually bottling up your feelings it means they're unleashed threefold when you get drunk." Aubrey exhaled sympathetically. She looked with concern at the down cast look on Chloe's face. "Maybe it's time to stop scheming or flirting or seducing and just tell her?"

"I don't think I can Bree." Chloe murmured.

"Why not? I've never known you to be scared of rejection before."

"This is different, I genuinely don't think I could handle her rejection. Even if she says we can still be friends I'll know she doesn't want me and that'll hurt. I've never felt this way about _anyone _before."

"You've been going to some interesting lengths to get her attention but I didn't realise it was this serious. I assumed this was a 'wanting something you don't have' sort of situation."

"I care about her _so much _Bree. I know I always make sex jokes and act like this is about the physical stuff but it's more than that. I mean, yeah, I do want her really badly, but it's bigger. I want to know she thinks about me the way I think about her, which happens to be all the damn time. Sometimes there will be a moment where we're looking at each other and I think she feels the same and I want to be angry at her for not making a move but then I can't exactly expect her to do something I'm too scared to do myself can I?" Chloe asked, an air of hopelessness about her. It was a very odd look on the perpetually happy girl.

"…you _love_ her don't you?" Aubrey asked as realisation swept over her at Chloe's unusually high emotional investment in it all.

"Mum noticed straight away, said I had 'the look of love', whatever that means."

"As in…actual proper full on love?" Chloe nodded gently, huddling herself into a ball as the tears began to gather at the corner of her eyes.

"I love her and I don't know how to deal with not having her."

"Oh Chloe, come here." Aubrey sat on the bed and gathered Chloe into her arms for a reassuring hug. "If she can't see what an amazing person you are then that's her loss okay?"

"But why does it have to be my loss too?"

"Because that's the way life works."

"Then life sucks."

"Don't worry Chloe, I'm pretty certain she at least likes you and as I am, after all, always right, then it's just a matter of time."

"You think so?"

"I know so." After a little while of hugging with a few more emotional back pats, Chloe wiped her eyes and Aubrey could feel the mood lift once more to their usual standard of playful banter that made up the majority of their friendship. That was how they worked, every now and then there would be a deep conversation of feelings but most of the time they simply made relatively mundane conversation in the knowledge that the other would be there if truly needed. "So…what is it that actually attracts you to her?" Aubrey asked with a very puzzled look on her face which made Chloe laugh.

"Physically or emotionally?"

"Emotionally. Definitely emotionally, save your dirty little fantasies for yourself thank you very much." Aubrey grimaced.

"Hey!"

"You can't go around telling people 'Titanium' is your lady jam and then get indignant when I say things like that." Chloe harrumphed. "Look, what is it that first made you think of her as a pineapple? What made you think she's secretly sweet?" Chloe thought for a minute.

"The small things I suppose."

"Like what?"

"Like…when I have a headache, she'll let me put my head on her lap and she just sort of play with my hair until I feel better. Then there was this one time when my nodes hurt and she brought me mint choc chip ice cream, my favourite, and she said it was just because she had some leftover but I know she's not a big fan of mint choc chip…plus the tub was full."

"I suppose that is quite cute actually…"

"And then there was the time I was panicking about an exam and she said she could come help me study because she wasn't doing anything but Luke told me later in the week that she'd been scheduled to work and had to promise to cover two of Jesse's shifts to get him to switch last minute."

"Getting cuter…"

"And then sometimes she'll be mixing and I'll just sort of watch her hands and wonder what other sort of things those hands could do…"

"Okay, it stopped being cute."

"You know, down my pants."

"Yes. Thank you Chloe. I got that. One day you're going to have to think with something other than your vagina." Aubrey dryly pointed out.

"Maybe when you start thinking with yours." Spluttering came from the other end of the bed.

"I do beg your pardon?"

"C'mon Bree, how long has it been exactly? Need to clear out the cobwebs down there sometime." Chloe winked.

"Aaaaaand we're done talking about my love life. Back to you."

"You can't avoid it forever."

"I'm too busy at the moment for dating." Aubrey sniffed. Chloe tried to reason with her, wanting to see her best friend happy.

"You can always make time in your schedule, you're the best person at time management I know."

"I don't want to date right now. That's all there is to it."

"But why not?" Aubrey stared forcefully at her hands, hoping that her and Chloe's uncanny ability to read each other was on the fritz today. Chloe's mouth slowly opening in shock suggested otherwise. "Oh. My. God. You like someone. Don't you?"

"…I can neither confirm nor deny that assumption."

"Uh uh, no fancy lawyer talk."

"Chloe…" Aubrey's mind went into overdrive with a list of possible things she could use to distract Chloe. In a case of the world's most fortunate timing, Chloe's phone lit up with the name of the person who happened to reside at the top of that list.

"Damn, Beca says she's just finishing some stuff but she'll be over shortly. We'll talk about this later." As Chloe flung herself out of bed and tried to make herself look slightly less dead, Aubrey sent a mental bear hug and an enthusiastic 'thank you' to Beca for her impeccable timing.

A short distance away, Beca looked up from her laptop and frowned.

"Something odd just happened…"

* * *

_**Okay, so this list is going to go on for a bit. You are all fabulous people and I love you.**_

_**bechloehuh**_

_**percabethatw**_

_**Dracossack**_

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_**itsmefiebs**_


	8. Milk Chocolate vs Dark Chocolate

Milk Chocolate vs Dark Chocolate

Half an hour later Beca had arrived and Aubrey had mysteriously disappeared after her early morning wake up call. Despite Chloe's wishes to spend the full day being around Beca, she was finding it difficult to keep a conversation going with her head pounding like Aubrey was still following her around accompanied by saucepan. Screw hangovers. Screw saucepans. Screw Aubrey….and screw Beca, but in a completely different way.

They had been sitting on the sofa with Beca rummaging through her bag for her a mix to show Chloe as that was how they usually liked to while away the day after a night of drinking or after Beca had just come off a night shift. Chloe had been doing a reasonable job of not appearing half dead and everything had been going swimmingly until Beca stopped when she noticed Chloe's pale demeanour.

"You're not okay are you?" Beca asked, eyeing her shrewdly.

"I'm fine. Totally fine." Chloe whimpered swaying slightly. It's not her fault things were moving independently to her vision. Beca sighed and put her stuff back in her bag.

"Okay. I think you should lie down."

"What? No, I'm good."

"Lie down Chlo." Beca stood and grabbed Chloe's feet. She swung them up to the position she had previously been sitting in so Chloe's body swivelled until it was lying flat on the sofa. Chloe whined feebly as Beca disappeared off to the kitchen. "Don't worry Beale, I'm coming back." Chloe wondered what she was doing clattering around in the kitchen but her question was soon answered when Beca reappeared and placed a cool, damp cloth on her head.

"Ughnnnnn."

"You wait until the one I've put in the fridge cools down a bit. Now _that's _going to be cold."

"Ughhhnnnnnnnn."

"You should really take that thing out to dinner first." Beca said but Chloe ignored her in favour of making more noises of satisfaction while Beca knelt beside her and dabbed at her forehead with the cold compress. It felt like heaven.

"You be sarcastic all you want Becs, I'm enjoying this too much to care right now. Oh god, it feels so good, don't you dare ever stop." Chloe moaned. Beca's hand stilled momentarily. "What did I _just_ say Beca?" Chloe asked pleadingly, prompting Beca back into action. "Are you okay Becs? You look a little flushed."

"Huh? Oh yeah, I'm fine. Kneeling is making my leg cramp up a bit."

"Come up here then." Chloe sat up so Beca could slide into the space underneath her head. Chloe laid her head back down in Beca's lap and couldn't help but sigh with pleasure once more as the ice cold compress soothed that dull roar in her head. The whole 'control your emotions around Beca' thing wasn't aided by her other hand coming up to start lightly combing through Chloe's hair, her finger nails scraping against Chloe's scalp _just _so. It wasn't long before Chloe felt her eyes begin to flicker shut.

"What happened to hanging out all day huh Beale?" Beca's teasing voice floated down to her.

"Mmm'sorry. M'awake." Chloe replied groggily, attempting to open her eyes and sit up.

"Shhhh Chlo, go to sleep. We can chill when you wake up." Beca gently eased Chloe back down.

"Pr'mise?" Chloe shakily held up a pinky. Beca chuckled and gripped it with her own.

"Promise.

"Kay then…Becs?"

"Hmm?"

"Singf'r me?" Chloe asked as she turned so she could snuggle into Beca's shirt at the stomach and enjoy the clean, comforting smell that always seemed to emanate from the shorter girl. Beca's hand paused for a moment while she tried to think of a song but it wasn't long before she heard the DJ's dulcet tones beginning a familiar song with a slowed down tempo that made it an unexpected lullaby. The beauty of her voice seemed to reverberate all around Chloe and the reassuring hand resumed its steady stroking once again. Chloe began to drift off in a state of utter contentment and serenity to the sound of melodic rhapsody.

_With my face above the water_

_My feet can't touch the ground,_

_Touch the ground, and it feels like_

_I can see the sands on the horizon_

_Every time you are not around_

_I'm slowly drifting (drifting away)_

_Wave after wave, wave after wave_

_I'm slowly drifting (drifting away)_

* * *

Chloe awoke blinking sleepily a while later. All she could register to begin with was satisfaction and warmth. Gripping lightly at the t-shirt in front of her, Chloe burrowed further into the source of her happiness. As she enjoyed the moment, she wondered why there was no sarcastic comment from Beca yet. Looking up, she saw that Beca's head was tilted back onto the sofa, her eyes shut and mouth slightly parted as her chest rose and fell in a regular rhythm. It shouldn't have been a surprise really, Beca _had _been up all night at the station and had only stopped off at her room for a change of clothes and a shower before heading to Chloe's. The girl had to be exhausted.

She looked so serene now. The worries of life had fallen away from her face and all that was left was a sort of…tranquil innocence. It'd was different from the little smirk that Chloe was so used to. Chloe smiled as she allowed herself to look at Beca, _really _look at her. The soft curve of her jaw, the careless waves her hair fell in, the delicate set of her features. She truly was stunning. Fuck, was it possible for anyone to be anymore gorgeous?

Beca's face twitched and Chloe realised she had been outlining the frame of Beca's face with her hand. She decided to tear herself away before she reached creepy stalker levels and/or did something stupid. Her intention of extricating herself delicately did not go according to plan however. She jostled the DJ as she moved, causing Beca to wake suddenly and sit bolt upright with a start.

"Those aren't my potatoes I swear!" Chloe giggled as Beca's eyes came into focus. "I just said that out loud didn't I?" Beca grumbled as she rubbed at her eyes drowsily. Chloe nodded and refrained from telling Beca how adorable she was when she was sleeping. "I think I was dreaming about a world where vegetable smuggling was illegal." Beca mumbled, obviously still trying to get her brain to catch up with reality. "Ugh, what's the time?"

"About ten."

"Ten?" Beca asked disbelievingly.

"Yup."

"Like…in the_ morning_?"

"Uh huh." Beca scowled and rearranged herself so she was lying down in the sofa with her face in a cushion.

"Well screw that, I'm going back to sleep."

"Are you going back to sleep because you're actually tired or just on principle?" Chloe asked amused.

"Mainly the principle thing." There was a chuckle from Chloe and an indignant 'heeeey!' from Beca as Chloe stole the cushion she had been attempting to sleep on.

"Nope, come on, you're up now and I want my Beca time."

"But Chlooooooeee, I never normally wake up this early after a night shift! I sleep until late afternoon!"

"Yes, and then you call me around one in the morning complaining because you're bored and can't get to sleep." Beca gave her a reproachful look. "Don't give me that face, you're going to power through today and go to bed at a decent time tonight."

"Yes mum, do I have to do all my homework before I can play with the other kids?" Came the sarcastic reply.

"Nope, you're allowed to play with the other kids right now. By which I mean me. Come on, let's get some breakfast." Beca groaned despairingly but allowed Chloe to drag her off the sofa and into the kitchen.

* * *

"I'm just saying it's richer." Chloe emphatically gestured. Beca gave her a disbelieving look. A full day of relaxing together later and the two were sprawled over Chloe's bed having gorged themselves on bacon sandwiches and other snack food until they started to feel vaguely human again. They'd been mindlessly chatting in a way that had Chloe wondering why they weren't together.

They could sit in contented silence, they could have deep discussions on life, the universe and everything, or they could indulge in stupid trivial banter as they were right now. It didn't matter, everything was so _easy _between them…and that's what made it difficult. Difficult to not be able to lean over and give Beca a kiss when she made that face which really made Chloe want to kiss her. You know the one? The one she had on all the time.

"How can you say that? Dark chocolate is too bitter." Beca countered, still not understanding Chloe's preference of dark chocolate over milk.

"Not if you get the balance right. Milk chocolate is a big old pile of sweetness. It's too much. You need that darker edge to get something really satisfying. Kind of like you." Oh shit. Where had that come from?

"What do you mean?" Beca looked at her curiously. Chloe knew she couldn't just brush this off, better to push forwards and play it off casually.

"Well…you act all moody and grouchy and bitter but there's hidden sweetness in you at it makes you that much sweeter because you don't taste it at first." Oooh, that was actually pretty good. Another metaphor to bug Bree with later. Beca is dark chocolate….although pineapple had more of a ring to it.

"Yeah but with milk chocolate you get the sweetness straight away and you _know _this is going to be good from the second it hits your tongue…kind of like you." Beca smirked back at her. Chloe grinned mischievously, she could do better than that.

"Are you saying you want me on your tongue?"

"What? No!" Beca spluttered. Damn. She composed herself then sat up. Chloe mirrored her actions so they were facing each other and Beca focused in on her. She was considering Chloe's face now, looking searchingly for something. "I'm just saying that I could tell from the second I saw you that I knew you're a good person." Beca's eyes locked onto Chloe's and like that, the mood shifted. "I think it's the eyes, something about your eyes..." Beca whispered.

"Becs…" Chloe breathed.

"Hey, Chloe…um…"

"Yes Becs?"

"Have you ever…I dunno. Have you ever had something, like a secret, that you really needed to tell someone? But you didn't know if it was the right thing to do….because you don't know how that person would react..." Beca eyes kept flicking down to her hands as she spoke but every time they looked up into Chloe's there was…an electricity. "…and it's kind of scary because it could ruin everything but at the same time you think it needs to be said? What do you do in that situation? I mean, do you tell them? Or just leave it?"

"Oh you should tell them. You should definitely always tell them." Chloe nodded so hard her neck kind of hurt.

"You're sure?" Beca murmured. Was she moving forward?

"Definitely." Chloe whispered, beginning to slowly lean in. This was it, it was finally happening, this was the momen-

"Okay….I need to talk to my dad." Beca said suddenly, sitting straight.

Huh? What?

Beca sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "I really want to change my major. If I'm going to be staying here then I want to do something I actually chose. I only went with what he wanted me to do because I figured I'd be in LA shortly so it didn't matter but now that I'm staying…I don't want my time here to be wasted. Not that it will be, I've got the Bellas and I've got you which makes it worthwhile, but I don't want my education here to be wasted."

….oh.

"Your dad?" Chloe asked weakly, retreating slightly.

"Yeah, I hope he doesn't flip out. We're starting to make progress with reconnecting or some shit like that."

"I'm sure you'll be fine Becs."

"Hey, are you okay? You look kind of sad…"

"Oh, it's nothing."

"Chloe, come on, talk to me."

"Really, it's nothing Bec. I was just thinking about my aunt's guinea pig. He's ill and may not make it through the night."

"Your aunt's guinea pig?" Beca raised an eyebrow. Chloe kept her face neutral.

"Yup." Pleasebuyitpleasebuyitpleasebuyit.

Beca stared sceptically for a few moments before her face cracked into a wide grin. And she shook her head. "That's one of the things I love about you Chloe, you never stop caring do you?" Chloe shrugged. "No, seriously. There's nothing you don't care deeply about. It's kind of amazing you know that?" Beca's voice seemed heavy with emotion again and Chloe couldn't hold back any longer. Not with Beca looking at her the way she was right now.

"Beca, there's something I need to tell you. I-"

"SURPRISE ACA BITCHES!" The door exploded inwards with a loud bang, kicked by the mighty force of an Australian. Enter Amy Wilson, licensed moment killer.

"AMY WHAT THE HELL?!" Beca yelled from the other side of the room where she was clinging to Chloe's lamp in terror. How did she get over there so fast? Not that Chloe was much better, she'd flung herself off the bed and was now hiding under a pillow in fear. A still shaking Chloe and Beca were seized by the Bellas who had suddenly piled into Chloe's room. From there they were dragged into the living room where they could see a huffy looking Aubrey with her arms and legs bound by a skipping rope being sat on by Stacie. Apparently Cynthia Rose was the only one who saw fit to explain the kidnapping as the rest of the Bellas seated themselves and started producing various bits of alcohol and food.

"Little Bit's been working at the station too much recently so…"

"And Bree's been stressing over exams too much!" Stacie cut in, smiling at a scowling Aubrey. CR nodded and continuesd

"Yeah and Bree's been freaking out, so we decided to have a do over last night. We're gonna drink here and chill till they remember what chilling is. This is an intervention."

"Of the alcoholic kind." Amy grinned, brandishing bottle of suspicious looking bright green liquid.

"It's only five!" Beca protested.

"That's past noon which makes it acceptable in my book." Responded Amy, who took a hefty swig from the bottle of green and shivered. "Whooo, makes my tits tingle."

"Amy, you drink before noon anyway."

"Only sometimes." Amy replied, poking at her boobs. Beca laughed. Chloe could see her getting drawn into the community atmosphere which was bad. She wanted to get Beca alone to talk to her before she lost her courage.

"Guys, come on, I spent all day recovering from a hangover and I'm guessing you were all the same." Chloe tried to reason with the excitable looking Bellas.

"Of course we were, but sometimes you've just got to say 'screw it' and do things that are stupid." Stacie smiled at them.

"Is anything we say going to change your mind?" Beca asked. A resounding chorus of 'no' came from the Bellas. Beca pointed at Amy's bottle. "Right…you'd better pass me whatever the hell that is then."

* * *

_**For the bit where Beca is singing, I was thinking of the original of 'Waves' by Mr Probz. Not the Robin Shulz remix. I think it's a fantastically chilled out song.**_

_**Thanks to the following for reviewing and of course to all those who have favourited/are following:**_

_**potatehoe**_

_**Defying-gravy**_

_**percabethatw (haha, exactly. Made me laugh)**_

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_**getpitchslappedbechloe**_

_**Asswipe**_

_**kendricksnowhuh (I DON'T KNOW WHAT WE'RE YELLING ABOUT. LOUD NOISES.)**_

_**elizabeth. mary. stark (I think I fixed it…anyway, how's about this for a cliffhanger?)**_

_**awriterofthings**_

_**Huh (Okay, here you go :P)**_

_**RobinHannahSarah**_

_**Sky2014**_

_**Harley Quinn Davidson**_

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_**Bechloe always**_

_**Yan (I don't know. Where you been huh?)**_

_**Hallows Horcruxes**_

_**Miknmax**_

_**Of Life and Lies**_

_**Iryn Sure**_

_**Meg Rules**_

_**Guest**_

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_**Itsmefiebs**_

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_**Gin**_

_**Writtenbykc (welcome to the fold newbie)**_


	9. The Drunkervention

_**Sorry for the delay on this everyone. Had memory stick issues, then holiday and then my life kind of went to shit. I'll figure it out eventually I'm sure...ish. Without further ado, chapter nine.**_

* * *

The Drunkervention

"And iiiiiiiiiiiii-e-iiiiiiiiiiiiii-e-iiiiiiiiiiiiiiii, will always love youuuu-OOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUUU!" The Bellas winced as Amy finished her rousing chorus at a pitch barely heard by humans. She had insisted that evening needed kicking off with a song but hadn't had much accompaniment when she announced her song choice. A few heavy swigs were taken from bottles as Amy asked if they wanted another.

"I think that was plenty Amy, thank you." Replied a pale Aubrey, ever the diplomat.

"Well now what?" Beca questioned. Chloe eyed her worriedly as she noticed the little DJ's movements were already a little…sway-ey.

"Fire?" Lily hopefully whispered.

"Arson isn't the answer to everything Lily." Chloe replied, now distracted by thoughts of where Lily acquired the matches she had just produced. She failed to notice Beca knocking back a few more glugs from the bottle of suspiciously green coloured liquid beside her.

"Says who?"

"Says non-flammable problems." Jessica shook her head disapprovingly and took the matches off Lily. Lily scowled.

"Those don't exist." Lily muttered in reply. Jessica uneasily shifted herself away from the Asian who was now smiling eerily at Jessica.

"So what is actually the plan for tonight?" Beca slurred…wait a minute, slurred?

"I don't know, we didn't think this thing through. We just thought we'd show up with booze." Amy shrugged. Dubious of its contents, Chloe tried to wrestle the bottle off Beca but it turned out the girl was stronger than she looked and managed to chug a fair amount down before Chloe secured it.

"Speaking of which, oh fearless leader." Amy began, her gaze narrowed in on to where Aubrey sat on the sofa. "Tiny over there appears to be responding to the drunkervertion pretty well…."

"Amy, what the hell is in this?" Chloe asked, coughing and reeling from the sniff she had just taken from the bottle, trying to determine what it was.

"…you, however…the contents of that cup you're holding cup is suspiciously water like."

"Amy?!" Chloe screeched, alarmed by a giggling Beca sitting and clapping to herself.

"Oh relax ginge, it's only about 80% proof, she'll be fine. Aubrey?" Amy brushed her off, ignoring a panicked Chloe as Beca attempted to get the bottle back.

"It's um…gin." Amy snatched the cup out of her hand and swigged it back. She shuddered violently as the taste hit her tongue.

"Ugh. Water. What's wrong with you?"

"Yeah Bree, how come we've never seen you get properly hammered?" CR asked curiously, drawing nods of questioning from the other Bellas (and the first few lines of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star from Beca).

"I think it's sensible to keep a level head is all." Chloe laughed loudly at Aubrey's superior look.

"Pfft, yeah right. If you think my drunk stories are bad, you should here some of the things Bree's done. She goes crazy if you get enough alcohol in her."

"No way!" A round of cheers made its way around the group as Aubrey blushed bright red. Chloe could tell how mortified Aubrey was at no longer being seen as the epitome of control but her friend really needed to learn to relax once in a while. Aubrey had forgotten of late that everyone does stupid things when they're drunk.

"Chloe!" She hissed, failing to maintain the 'dignified composure' look she'd been going for. Chloe shrugged in return with a mischievous grin.

"Yes way, too much booze and she thinks everything you suggest is the best idea anyone's ever had and usually starts trying to get naked too." The Bellas heads whipped round as they heard a 'crash' come from behind them where Stacie appeared to be urgently dragging Aubrey towards the vodka. Chloe raised an eyebrow at this but her attention was diverted by the brunette beside her poking her face. "Um…Beca?"

"Where'd the booze go?"

"I'm not sure it's a good idea for you to have anymore Becs."

"But melons!" Beca whined, diving to the side so she face planted onto Chloe's crossed legs. This wasn't exactly been what she'd had in mind when she wished for Beca's face between her legs.

"…pardon?" Chloe tried to get Beca to sit back up but she wriggled around so she was looking up at Chloe and refused to move.

"Tasted like melons!"

"Well it smelt like pure alcohol." Chloe commented wryly.

"I wonder what you taste like." Beca mumbled, poking her stomach.

"What?" Chloe nearly gave herself whiplash with the speed her neck when down to eye the DJ sprawled in her lap. She wasn't there for long though, Stacie appeared and tugged on Beca's arm, separating her from a flabbergasted Chloe.

"Beca! Shots!" Stacie unnecessarily yelled.

"Okay!" Beca yelled back in that happy way only drunk people do. Chloe remained sitting in shock on the sofa, wondering if she heard correctly, as the two ran off to the kitchen for more alcohol.

* * *

"It's hot in here isn't it? Are you hot? I'm hot. How do I de-hot?" A heavily inebriated Aubrey whined, flapping her hands in front of her face.

"The song! There's a song for this..." Stacie replied, thoughtfully tapping her head. Her alcohol fogged eyes lit up in delighted realisation. "It's getting hot in here…" Stacie sang.

"SO TAKE OFF ALL YOUR CLOTHES!" Aubrey muffedly yelled back, having got her head stuck in the hole of her shirt in her attempt to remove it.

"Put your shirt back on Bree." Chloe slurred.

"Or not. Totally your choice." Stacie said, eyes locked unblinkingly on a shirtless Aubrey. The two got up to dance together but ended up falling over in a giggling mess on the floor. Chloe groaned. Why did they get to be happy? Multiple attempts at getting Beca alone all evening had failed spectacularly and by the time Chloe had spotted an opportunity, Beca was gone beyond the point of no return. There was no chance of serious conversation between them tonight. Chloe gave up and began laying into alcohol too. More than ever, this ginger needed her giggle juice.

"Chloe!" Chloe jolted as a body plopped itself next to her on the sofa. Beca was clearly in her overly happy drunk mode. "Hi Chloe!"

"Hey Beca."

"You're Chloe." Beca announced like she'd discovered some great scientific truth.

"Yup."

"I'm Beca." Beca pointed proudly at herself. Chloe sighed and nodded affectionately, at least Beca was still able to discern that much.

"Uh-huh."

"Beca likes Chloe." Beca grinned happily at Chloe. Chloe knew she shouldn't be taking the words of a completely off her face Beca to heart but…aren't drunk words supposed to be sober thoughts?

"She does?" Chloe whispered, inching towards Beca. Beca nodded enthusiastically.

"Yup, Chloe is Beca's beeeeest friend."

"Oh…" Of course. She meant like. Not _like _like. Hope sufficiently crushed. Chloe sighed as she realised Beca was still looking at her with an inane grin on her face. "Why are you speaking in the third person you dork?"

"I wasn't!" Beca frowned in confusion.

"You were." Chloe insisted, enjoying the cute puzzled look on Beca's face as she failed to recall her previous words.

"I was?"

"Yuh-huh." Chloe smiled as Beca tapped at her own head to recall the memories. She sat back up and shuffled in closer to Chloe until they were pressed side by side. She dragged Chloe closer and began whispering.

"Oh…there is like the tiniest, littlest chance ever, that I've drunk too much." Beca made a pinching motion to signify just how little the chance was but only succeeded in making Chloe chuckle at her inability to focus properly on her own hands.

"Really?" Chloe laughed.

"Shhhhhhh!" Beca flapped her hands in front of Chloe's face and looked around the room like Chloe had given away a massive conspiracy. "It's a secret." Beca insisted.

"Oh, okay." Chloe replied, mock seriously. She decided to humour Beca because a) Beca was clearly wasted and, although Chloe wasn't exactly sober herself, Beca was so out of it that humouring was the best way to keep her calm b) humouring appeared to result in close proximity, like…Chloe could feel Beca's breath on her face proximity. Chloe was okay with that.

"The others can't know. I'm s'posed to be captain next year. S'posed to be authoritititt….authoritvitivy…" Beca's face screwed up in concentration. "S'posed to be in charge. Gotta set an example."

"Why do I get to know then?"

"Coz you're Chloe. Chloe is Beca's best friend. Chloe is special." Beca said firmly, even going so far as to slam her hand down on her knee as she said 'special' so she could emphasise her point. She was so sweet. Chloe reached up to cup Beca's face and stroke it. She wanted so desperately to close that gap but Beca was looking at her with a sort of happy, wide eyed innocence. It would be wrong. It would be taking advantage.

"Sweetie, third person again." Chloe said softly, brushing a few hairs out of Beca's face.

"Oh…woops. Thanks Chloe. You're awesome." Beca leant into Chloe's hand.

"So are you Becs, so are you." Oh if only she knew how much Chloe meant it. Their moment was interrupted by a loud moan from near their feet. Startled, the two looked down to the floor to see a thrashing pile of limbs that was Aubrey and Stacie. Chloe had forgotten they were since Beca had arrived and it looked like the two had been busy seeing as Aubrey was no longer the only one missing a shirt and Stacie was now sporting a sizable hickey as they made out. "Do you reckon we should throw cold water on them or something?" Chloe snorted but stopped abruptly when she saw how fixated Beca was on the sight.

"I've never done that before." She murmured softly.

"What? Made out with a girl?" Beca shook her head. Chloe tried come up with a reply to that but a loud whooping prevented her.

"NAKED LADY COMING THROUGH CHICAAAAAAS!" Chloe threw herself to the side and into Beca to avoid them being mowed down by a very naked Denise running past them and out of the door. Turning her head, Chloe saw CR, Jessica, Ashley, Lily and Amy staring in awe after her from the door of the kitchen.

"Told you she'd do it." CR said smugly. It was only when Chloe swivelled her head back around that she saw the position they'd ended up in. She was lying on top of Beca, in between her legs with her arms supporting her and their faces hovering close together. Chloe gulped, her voice was hoarse as she spoke. "Oh…um, sorry Becs, I'll…just…." Chloe began to move but her movements were halted by Beca grabbing onto the front of her shirt.

"I've never done that before." Beca repeated. Softly. Insistently.

"Beca…" Chloe whispered as Beca brought her slowly closer. Chloe waited. She waited for the thing, whatever it was, to stop them as it always did. There was always something that pulled them apart at the last minute….it never came.

Beca's lips brushed gently against Chloe, once…twice…a third time. Testing the waters. Then those lips pressed into Chloe's more firmly. Finally catching up to the fact that this was happening, Chloe responded eagerly, tasting Beca for the first time. Her body was on fire, Chloe swore she could feel her pulse thrumming through her body as they began to kiss in earnest. Chloe took advantage of Beca's gasp to slip her tongue into the brunette's mouth and groaned as she felt Beca's hips shift upward beneath her.

Oh god, every part of Chloe was alive right now as the kisses became more fervent, Chloe's hands moving down to clutch at Beca's waist and Beca's sliding into Chloe's hair. Beca's hips kept taunting her with their upward motion until Chloe ground back down against her. Their kiss paused as both girls let out a wanting gasp. They stilled completely at that, relishing the moment of blissful contact…then Beca moved again, drawing an uninhibited noise from Chloe and a movement of her own. Their kisses resumed with even more passion than before, halting only to allow the brief gasps of breaths and moans that came every time their hips pivoted into one another.

Chloe could feel a familiar heat building within her, possessing far more intensity then any time in recent memory. It started deep in her stomach and spread slowly, burningly outwards, the flames of desire licked at her until she began to feel close to something. If the noises that had come from Beca were any indication, she was feeling it too. Just a little….just a little more…

A low, appreciative wolf whistle sounded clear and true, bringing their movements to an abrupt end as Chloe and Beca turned to see a full complement of Bellas staring at them. Including a completely re-clothed Denise and fully dressed, albeit thoroughly rumpled, Stacie and Aubrey gaping open mouthed. How long had they been going for? (Not long enough, part of Chloe grumbles.) Amy's wolf whistle faded into silence but the Australian threw in a few word to the awkward silence of the room.

"Daaaaamn short stack and ginger, that was so hot I'm pretty sure I spontaneously grew a penis just so I could get a boner." CR's appreciative nod wasn't a surprise. The one that came from every other Bella was.

Chloe nearly let out a sob as she moved off Beca, feeling the precipice she had been inching towards fall away and yet her body was still crying out for more contact with the DJ.

"I think…" despite Aubrey's authoritative tone, she swayed mid-sentence until Stacie held her in place. "Thank you Stacie. I thi-hic-think that we should all head to bed." There wasn't the usual protest from the girls as when Aubrey usually called bed time, all Bellas merely began unravelling sleeping bags and picking a spot of floor. Chloe sat frozen on the sofa next to Beca still. The girl's face was blank. She moved to go get her sleeping bag without a word and Chloe felt her heart drop.

She didn't object when Chloe followed and laid her own sleeping bag next to Beca's. Chloe thought things may yet be alright when she got a questioning smile from Beca which she returned. There were still no words spoken though and Chloe couldn't get any sort of read on what Beca was feeling. She wanted to stay up and talk it out but both of them were still pissed as anything and Chloe was just about sober enough to recognise this conversation was supposed to be had with clearer heads.

Unfortunately she never got the opportunity because Beca was gone without a trace by the time Chloe woke the next morning.

* * *

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	10. I Didn't Get Nachos

**_Turns out eating a bowl of Cheerios inspires me, who knew?_**

* * *

I Didn't Get Nachos

It took all of Chloe's willpower to keep on a smile the next morning. She couldn't figure out if that deep weighted churning in her stomach was the result of a hangover or Beca's noticeable absence as the others began packing up their stuff. She suspected the latter (though the former did little to improve her mood).

Chloe barely managed to brush off casual enquiries from the others about where Beca had disappeared to and forced herself to swallow that lump that kept appearing in her throat every time one of them gave Chloe a knowing look or a teasing wink about what had happened the night before. One by one the Bellas eventually stumbled their way out of the residence until it was just herself and Aubrey.

Chloe began to worry as she pondered her next move. How should she go about talking to Beca? Should she send a text? Go see her? Form an excitingly loud flash mob in the middle of the quad as a declaration of her feelings? No…that was too Hollywood romcom for Beca. Should she even talk to Beca at all? Clearly Beca had legged it as soon as she'd woken the next morning, maybe that was a sign to leave it alone?

"Don't do that." Came Aubrey's crisp voice from by the door. Chloe looked towards her best friend in confusion. "I can see you getting wrapped up in your own head about how to handle this situation. I honestly think the best thing you can go do right now is just talk to Beca."

"What if she doesn't want to talk about it?"

"Tough. Even if she wants to pretend that it never happened, she was happily participating just as much as you last night and that means she owes you an explanation about what it was." Aubrey stated, folding her arms.

"But-"

"Who kissed who?"

"What?"

"Who kissed who?"

"…she kissed me." Chloe smiled lightly as she remembered that Beca had been the one to make the first move.

"Right, so there's something there…as if all the eye sex and extravagant toner waving wasn't clue enough already." Commented Aubrey dryly, regaining the Chloe's attention. Chloe snorted at that.

"Oh like you're one to talk. What was going on between you and Stacie last night?" Aubrey's stern look faltered, her arms dropped and a rare expression of confusion appeared on her face.

"I…I'm not sure."

"You seemed pretty sure yesterday."

"I don't know if she's in it just for something physical though…it's Stacie." Something about Aubrey's wistful way of saying 'Stacie' caught Chloe's attention.

"You like her though?"

"…yes, I didn't expect to…but it happened." Chloe smiled at Aubrey's quietly happy look. "I still don't know what I am to her though."

"So how is your situation any different from mine?" Chloe retorted. It was a bad move. She should have remembered that there's no point arguing with Aubrey unless you'd planned ten steps ahead because you could be damn sure that's what the blonde had done.

"Because we agreed to actually meet up and talk it over. She had to go to class for a bit but we're going to resolve it as soon as she's done. Why can't you do the same with Beca?"

"Because she wasn't here this morning for me to talk to! She just…she just left…" Chloe's voice trailed off and Aubrey moved around to kneel in front of the red head. Her voice took on a more soothing quality as she tried to get Chloe to see sense…lest she end up banging her head against the wall in another case of 'oh, look at Chloe and Beca dancing around the issue instead of actually talking about it'.

"You don't know why though. I refuse to sit here and watch you mope about the place pondering what Beca may or may not be feeling. You won't know unless you talk to her. So go."

"What? Now?" Chloe's confused look awoke stern Aubrey once more. She stood, grabbing Chloe's hands as she did so, trying to yank Chloe up with her. She did not cooperate. Chloe could almost hear Alan Posen's voice running through his daughter as Aubrey began talking in what Chloe liked to call her 'military tone'.

"Yes now. Right now. Get your butt off that sofa and go sweep the hobbit off her feet. I've had enough of you two miscommunicating and waiting for the other to take charge."

"I don't know…"

"Oh for the love of the aca-gods, who even are you? Where is my best friend?" Aubrey exclaimed at Chloe's timid attitude.

"What are you on about Bree?"

"My best friend is the girl who relentlessly bombarded the coach of boys only soccer team with letters and protests when we were eight because she wanted to play. My best friend is the girl who used her prom queen powers of influence to stir up a school-wide student revolt so she could overturn the principal's suggested new female dress code instead of just smiling and waving as was expected of her. My best friend is the girl who once actually asked out my crush for me when we were sixteen because I was too scared and she wanted to show me how easy it was. My best friend is the most confident girl I know and I don't know where the hell that girl is but I'd really like her back right now because she'd happily march over to Beca's dorm and say what she wants because that is what she does. She sees something she wants and she does everything in her power to get it. Now…are you that girl or not?" The fire in Aubrey's eyes stirred something in Chloe. She had done those things hadn't she?

"Yeah…"

"Nuh-uh, not good enough. Are you or are you not Chloe Beale?" Aubrey question/roared at the slowly straightening figure on the sofa.

"Yes." Chloe said, more firmly that time. She was Chloe Beale.

"You can do better than that. Who are you?"

"I'm Chloe Beale." Chloe jumped up. Chloe Beale goddammit.

"Who?"

"Chloe Beale!" Yeah, Chloe mother fucking Beale!

"And what is Chloe Beale going to do right now?"

"I'm going to go tell Beca how I feel properly!" Chloe yelled back at her best friend. Aubrey smirked.

"Excellent."

"Then I'm going to get nachos!" Chloe yelled again. Aubrey frowned, confused at how they had arrived at this thought.

"…pardon?"

"I want nachos so I'm going to have them! Do you want nachos? I'll get you some nachos too! We deserve nachos!" Aubrey laughed, her pep talk worked too well. Chloe was now motivated and yelling every thought she had.

"You don't have to yell everything you know?"

"I know, I'm just really excited right now!" Chloe shouted. Aubrey went over to the door and opened it. Chloe was out of the room like a shot and storming in what Aubrey could only assume was the direction of Beca's room. She yelled after the retreating figure.

"Attagirl Chloe, go get some pineapple!"

* * *

Chloe took a deep breath as she prepared to knock on Beca's door, trying to cling onto some remnant of the confidence that Aubrey had instilled in her. It's all very well hyping yourself up to something with your best friend being the voice of support in the back ground, it's quite another to maintain that same unwavering enthusiasm when you're about to have a conversation that could either make or break the relationship between you and someone else.

Raising a steady hand, she knocked. Silence, a brief bit of shuffling, then a slightly scruffy looking Beca opened the door.

"Oh…hey Chloe." Beca blinked at her.

"Hey Becs, can we talk?" Chloe cursed her timid voice, where was the strong Chloe from a few moments ago?

"Oh, um, sure. I'd love to Chlo but I have a…thing." Beca stammered.

"A thing?" Chloe asked, eyebrow raised.

"Yeah…philosophy! There's this philosophy lecture I need to go to." Beca attempted to act nonchalant but the girl was clearly panicking in the face of her pathetic justification.

"But you never go to philosophy…"

"Well…I do now. I was literally just heading out so…I should go." Beca motioned for Chloe to leave but Chloe was having none of it.

"Beca, you're in your pajamas."

"…"

"And you decided to switch off of philosophy."

"..."

"And it's a Saturday." Beca opened and closed her mouth a few times, attempting explanation, but sighed and gave up when she saw Chloe's sceptical look.

"This wasn't a convincing excuse at all was it?" Beca asked, shuffling a bit and looking at her feet.

"Not even slightly. So can we talk now or are you going to pretend there's a dinosaur emergency that requires your immediate attention?" Beca's blatant lie resurfaced the determination in Chloe, she was going to get this out.

"We can talk." Beca nodded, moving aside to let Chloe in.

"You don't have to make it sound like someone shot your grandma." Chloe joked, attempting to lighten the mood in the room. Beca remained silent though and Chloe felt the hope ebb out of her. She moved to sit on the bed and thanked her lucky stars that Kimmy Jin wasn't around to give Beca an exit. Beca sat in the chair, not in her usual spot next to Chloe on the bed…then there was silence while Beca curled in on herself and refused to start. Chloe waited though, trying to get some read on what Beca felt about the whole situation.

"Sooo…what did you want to talk about?" Ah. So she was going to avoid it. Fine. Chloe could deal with that. Like hell was she going to let Beca do that.

"The fact that we kissed last night Beca. The fact that we kissed for a ridiculously long time and then you ran out on me the next morning."

"Isn't what you're supposed to do in college?" Beca laughed nervously. Chloe's eyes narrowed at her dismissal of their kiss. No. This wasn't going to be swept under the rug.

"Okay, if you want to pretend like that's all it was then fine, but I'm not going to do that. I lo…I like you Beca. Really like you. I've liked you for a very long time and as amazing as last night was, I'm not just looking for a drunken hook up with you. I want to be with you." Chloe looked to Beca for some acknowledgement but the brunette just stared at her hands. "Are you…are you going to say anything?"

Beca's eyes met Chloe's at last and Chloe saw a tidal wave of confliction there. That didn't bode well.

"Chloe, I…you…" Beca tried to start a few more times but ended up making an aggravated noise. "For fuck's sake! I can't do this!" She cried, standing up and beginning to pace.

"Do what?"

"_This _Chloe." Beca stopped in front of Chloe and looked at her sadly. "Caring about someone. I can't do it, okay? You…you make me feel…things. Things way beyond what a friend should feel for another friend."

"Really?" Chloe smiled. Beca felt the same way. Beca liked her.

"Of course. Jesse's my friend too, do you see me cuddling up to him on the sofa?"

"I certainly hope not." Chloe grinned as she reached for Beca's hands to draw her closer. The relief at Beca having reciprocated her feelings allowed her to forget Beca's initial reaction. She was reminded of it the second Beca stepped out of her reach though. She took in Beca's folded arms and sombre look and her heart plummeted. "I…I don't understand. If I like you and you like me then…"

"I _can't _do this Chloe." In that moment, Chloe understood what she was saying…and it hurt.

"Why not?"

"You're my best friend. I can't lose that." Beca shook her head.

"That doesn't make any sense Becs, we could be more." Chloe pleaded.

"It won't last."

"Okay, ouch. Why are you so convinced we'll fail?"

"Not 'we' Chlo, me. I'll fail." Beca said, looking away. Chloe stood up to try and bring Beca's face round to look at her.

"You don't know that." She whispered, but Beca shrugged out of her grasp and hesitated before speaking again.

"It could happen though….there was a guy. My best friend. We knew each other since we were twelve and when we got to sixteen…feelings happened. So we got together. You have to understand Chloe, he was there with me through everything, including my parent's divorce. He was the first person I ever really opened up to. I thought nothing could break that bond but then we started going out and…I don't know. We were so happy for a while but then one day my feelings just…evaporated. I never knew why but they went one day and I could only see him as a friend again. I couldn't pretend to have feelings that weren't there, he could tell that something was wrong…so I ended it. When I broke up with him, we tried to remain friends but it didn't work. Something about being in a relationship changed our dynamic and that broke us. I lost someone I thought I never could because I'm emotionally fucked up. I won't lose another best friend again. I _won't_. You mean too much to me Chloe and I absolutely cannot lose you."

Chloe wanted to cry. Here Beca was saying the thing she'd been wanting to hear Beca say since the beginning but she was citing them as a reason not to be with Chloe.

"You don't know we'll turn out the same way though! We aren't the same, we could be so much more Becs…"

"Or we could break up and never speak to each other again. I'm not willing to take that risk. I still want to be friends, but I can't be more." The words of protest died in Chloe's throat as she heard the resolution in her DJ's voice. Despite her best efforts, her next words came out as a tremble.

"So…that's it? We ignore whatever's happening here?"

"It's worked so far hasn't it?" Beca laughed without a hint of humour. There was only bitterness in that laugh. Chloe felt the tears begin to well up and knew she had to leave, leave before she broke down.

"I think I need to go…"

"It's probably for the best." Beca responded quietly. "Let me know when…if you want to speak to me again." Chloe didn't respond, merely rushed out the door before everything consumed her.

* * *

Aubrey returned to her and Chloe's shared flat a few hours later to find the red head curled up into a ball on their sofa, hugging a cushion.

"Chloe?"

"I didn't get nachos." Chloe whimpered, hugging the cushion tighter. Aubrey's face fell as she realised what that meant. Silently she moved to hug her tearful best friend.

* * *

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	11. A Picture Says A Thousand Words

A Picture Says A Thousand Words

"So…she wants you too…I'm failing to see the issue here." Chloe sighed from her position on Aubrey's bed. It had been three days and Aubrey still wasn't letting the subject go. She shouldn't have been surprised really, when Aubrey latched on to a problem, she latched onto it with the ferocity of a tenacious pitbull until it was resolved. Still, being around her overly inquisitive best friend was far more bearable than being left alone with only her saddened thoughts for company.

"She doesn't want anything more Bree, she thinks it'll ruin the friendship." Aubrey shot Chloe a disparaging look as she continued to buzz around the room, putting her things in order.

"Uh huh, because making your friend cry for three days straight is a perfectly normal thing to do." Chloe cast Aubrey a withering glance. "Don't give me that look. I think she's being stupid." Aubrey sniffed. Chloe ignored her and wrapped herself tighter in the little blanket ball she'd turned herself into. "That's it then? You're giving up?" Aubrey enquired, not missing the air of hopelessness surrounding her best friend.

"What else can I do Bree? I can't force her to go out with me, nor would I want to. I just want her to see that we could have something worth the risk but…I guess we'll just be friends. That's better than nothing."

"Pfft. 'Just friends' my perfectly toned ass. You have never been 'just friends' with Beca. You have been into each other since the second you met. I felt like a major third wheel at that activities fair while you two were busy undressing each other with your eyes and I'm pretty sure it's the freshman that's supposed to feel out of place on their first day."

"It doesn't matter what anyone's perception of us is. Beca's made her decision and I have to respect that."

"Not if her decision is a stupid one!" Aubrey exclaimed, trying to get her friend to see reason. Chloe merely buried her head further into the blanket and looked forlorn. Again. Aubrey had been getting steadily more and more irritated with the unusual melancholy nature of her best friend the past two days. It made her feel incredibly useless that she couldn't help. She always had a plan of action, something she could do. If she couldn't help then…wait a minute...light bulb. "Why don't you go visit your parents Chloe?"

"What?"

"Go home. Get some distance. I know we said we'd both stay here over the summer but maybe some time back with your family will do you good."

"That's…that's actually not a bad idea Bree." Aubrey tried not to take Chloe's look of surprise personally.

"My ideas are never bad."

"Not even the time you climbed that tree to prove that you could do it, got stuck and the fire brigade had to come get you down?" Chloe teased with eyebrow arched at Aubrey's groan.

"Are you ever going to let me live that down?"

"No. It's pretty much the one thing I get to lord over you." The glee in Chloe's voice couldn't be missed.

"It's alright for you, you got the opportunity to flirt with a hot fireman. _I _was left apologising profusely for screaming in his ear the entire way down." Aubrey muttered indignantly at the memory.

"Still a beautiful mental image." Chloe mock brushed away a happy tear at the memory as Aubrey threw a nearby pillow at her. The two burst into laughter and Aubrey smiled as she saw Chloe beginning to be that optimistic redhead she knew and loved once more.

"There's the Chloe I know. Go call Judi and tell her you're coming back, then have a nice summer without all…this, going through your brain."

"You're right Bree. I'll do that." Aubrey smirked to herself as Chloe wandered off to her own room, in the full knowledge that, if there was one person more persistent than her when it came to Chloe's happiness, it was Judi Beale.

Oblivious to her best friend's scheming, Chloe felt a familiar sense of comfort wash over her as she heard her mother's excited squeal from the other end of the line.

"Chloe! Darling! How are you?"

"Hi mum." Muffled yelling and thumping noises in the back ground made Chloe laugh as she recognised the loud array of noises signifying her siblings being home and the distress in her mother's voice at their destruction.

"JACOB! PUT YOUR BROTHER DOWN! Sorry Chloe dear, your brothers are somewhat-ADAM! THAT IS NOT WHAT THE OVEN IS FOR!"

"Should I call back another time?" Chloe began to ask but all she got was a weary sigh from her mother.

"I don't think there's much use in it sweetheart, they've been storing up all their fighting energy for when they got to see each other again. It's been like this for a week now." Judi's voice came across endearingly despairing as another loud male shriek was heard in the back ground. "GIDEON! DO NOT GET INVOLVED! NO! I SAID…oh for the love of…I give up." The cries of pain turned into whooping and there was another groan from the Beale matriarch.

"What are they doing now?"

"They're using my best tea tray to go stair sledding." Judi grumbled. "Anyway dear, what was it you wanted to talk to me about? Or were you just ringing for a general chat? It is nice to hear from you, it does feel awfully odd with just one member of the family not being here."

"That's actually what I was ringing about. I think…I think I'd want to come home for a bit."

"…but I thought you wanted to spend your summer at Barden so you could be with that cute little brunette of yours this summer?"

"That's not…I wanted to get things in order for my masters."

"Uh huh, of course you did. What's happening there anyway? Any luck with the pineapple?" Chloe could almost see her mother giving the exaggerated wink she was so fond of whenever she thought she was being subtle about enquiring into her children's love lives.

"…I'd rather not talk about it."

"Oh Chloe, what happened?"

"Mum…"

"Come on Chloe, talk to me. I worry about my little girl." Chloe sighed, she didn't really want to repeat it after Aubrey's million different attempts to analyse everything but her mother always was a source of comfort in these situations.

"We had a…moment, so I told her how I felt and, well…she does feel the same but she doesn't want to take it any further. She had a bad experience going out with a friend and now she thinks that us getting together would ruin our friendship."

"And what did you say to that?"

"What could I say mama? She's decided. If I force the issue then she may not want to be around me anymore and…I'd rather have her as a friend than nothing." Chloe waited to hear her mother's response but all she could hear was the sound of her brothers' inane hooting in the back ground. "Mum?"

"Hold on a moment, I'm trying to internet."

"Internet? What?" Chloe questioned as she heard the clattering of computer keys.

"I'm sending you an email I think you should look at. You are of course welcome to come home, Gideon's decided to move in with his girlfriend so he's leaving in a few days to sort that out. If you do come it would be nice to have you around sooner rather than later so everyone is here at once but home is always here for you to come back to any time you want Chloe, no matter how old you get. You know that." Chloe smiled in relief, she was still puzzled as to what her mother was sending her but it was uplifting to know she would be back with her family soon.

"Thanks mum. I'll probably head up tomorrow."

"That soon?"

"Yeah, I need to clear my head a bit I think."

"Okay sweetie, I'll make up your room for you. Let us know when you leave so we can figure out when to pick you up from the station." An inquisitive mumble came from the phone. "Yes Adam, Chloe is coming back tomorrow." At this, Chloe heard a cacophony of noise from her brothers cheering. "BOYS! BE QUIET SO I CAN TALK TO YOUR SISTER! GO PLAY IN THE GARDEN OR SOMETHING! It'll be good to have you around, your poor father is scared to leave the bedroom for fear of being jumped by those louts." Chloe laughed fully for the first time in three days at the sound of her brothers' antics.

"I've missed you all." Chloe responded fondly.

"We've missed you too honey…do make sure you look at the email won't you?"

"Okay, what is it?"

"I think it would be better if you saw for yourself. Anyway, I have to go, your brothers are using my new new washing line in a highly inappropriate manner."

"New new washing line?"

"Yes, they broke the old one on Thursday and the one I bought to replace it yesterday. I love you darling, see you soon!"

"Love you too mum, bye." Chloe hung up the phone and wandered over to the computer curiously. Her breath came to a sharp stop as she opened the email and saw what Judi had sent. It was the picture she had snapped in the restaurant before the two of them had realised she was armed with camera. Before Beca was aware she was supposed to be in 'girlfriend' mode.

Her eyes were locked on Chloe's face with pure adoration and her mouth was curled lightly upwards at the side into a smile that spoke of devotion beyond just a friend. Chloe wasn't much better, her own face shone with happiness. Nothing about the picture was platonic. Nothing. Evidently something Judi had spotted too because she'd left a small note at the bottom.

_People who look at each other like that aren't friends, nor should they be._

Chloe went to print off the picture. Somehow having it in her hands made it more real. The tangibility of it was proof that it existed, that it wasn't just her eyes playing tricks on her. Chloe got dressed in a daze, mind whirring and running over the contents of the photo. Folding it and tucking it into her back pocket when she was ready, she began to head out of the door.

"Where are you going?" Aubrey asked somewhat hopefully at the sight of Chloe out of her pajamas for the first time in two days.

"To Beca's.

"Are you going to knock some sense into her?"

"I don't know. I'm going to go home tomorrow, I'm not sure for how long, and…I just want to see her before I go."

"Chloe…" Aubrey began apprehensively but Chloe cut her off.

"I'll be fine Bree, don't worry about me."

"It's hard not to. I am vaguely concerned for your well-being after all this time." It occurred to Chloe, looking at the anxiety on her best friend's face, that she hadn't asked about Aubrey's well-being at all recently.

"How did your thing with Stacie go?" Aubrey merely bit her lip happily in response. "That well?"

"I don't want to jinx it but…I feel good about this Chloe."

"I'm so happy for you, why didn't you say anything?" Chloe squealed, hugging Aubrey.

"You were preoccupied with your moping over Beca. It felt a bit like rubbing it in your face to point out my own successes." Aubrey shrugged.

"…I've not been the best friend recently have I?" Sadness coloured Chloe's tone when she realised this was the first she'd thought of Aubrey's own dilemmas.

"Nonsense, you needed time to be all hermity. I can assure you that, when you return, we'll have a proper catch up session with wine and bad rom-coms to critically deconstruct and you're going to listen to me blather on about Stacie for the majority of the evening." Chloe smiled gratefully at Aubrey brushing her behaviour off.

"Thanks Bree." Aubrey merely made shooing motions with her hands in reply.

"Go on, go talk to your lady love."

"She's not m-"Chloe tried to protest but Aubrey forcefully turned and steered her out of the door before she could finish.

"She is and you know it. Now vamoose!"

* * *

To say Chloe was surprised when Beca opened the door and greeted her with a hug was an understatement. Since meeting the shorter girl, Chloe couldn't recall a single occasion where Beca had been the one to initiate contact…well, apart from the other night. The second the door was open though, there was a wide grin on Beca's face and the reverent way Beca said her name almost made it sound like a prayer. Then Beca hugged her.

Once Chloe's shock wore off, she allowed her arms to slip around Beca and revel in the feel of her slight frame once more. She tried to not be too creepy by breathing in the delicious smell she always linked to Beca but she could have sworn she felt Beca doing the exact same thing to her. When the hug finally ended, Chloe couldn't help but be curious at the brunette's behaviour.

"What was that for?"

"I dunno, missed you I guess." Beca smiled and Chloe melted a little bit.

"We saw each other three days ago…" She laughed, teasing Beca.

"I know but...after our last talk I wasn't sure…I didn't know if you would...never mind, you're here now. Come in." Beca ushered her inside and Chloe's mind played over Beca's nervousness at the prospect of Chloe not contacting her again.

"Thanks."

"So…um…what do you want to do?" Beca asked. Chloe paused and decided to delay telling Beca she was going home tomorrow, choosing instead to see where they stood.

"Not sure…movie?" Chloe smiled, ready for an intense debate from Beca as was their custom whenever Chloe suggested a movie. After about half an hour of back and forth, one of two things would happen. Either, Beca would make a convincing enough argument for them to sit and listen to music, or Beca would give in to Chloe's pleas then proceed to petulantly grumble and make sarcastic quips about the film's predictability the whole way through.

"Yeah, sounds good." Beca immediately agreed to Chloe's suggestion. Chloe stared in confusion at the lack of protest from Beca as she hurried around the room to locate one of the few DVDs she had on loan from Jesse. As the film began to roll, Beca settled herself on her bed and looked hopefully at Chloe who was still internally questioning her odd behaviour.

Now normally, Chloe would have no qualms about snuggling into Beca's side but Chloe was well aware how things would end if she allowed herself to get too close to Beca so she carefully positioned herself in a way that would in no way lead to temptation…which meant she wasn't touching Beca at all. Beca opened her mouth to say something when she saw Chloe's elected seat but she seemed to think better of it and remained quiet.

The quiet that followed…it was the kind of quiet that is extremely loud. The tinny sound of the film coming from the screen seemed back ground to the overbearing sound of _nothing _being said. Chloe could tell neither of them was actually watching the screen, both failing to ignore the palpable tension in the air. Beca's constant twitching gave away her restlessness and her complete disinterest in the movie. It took all of ten minutes for the unspoken thoughts in the air and Beca's inability to stop moving to get to Chloe.

"Something wrong?" She asked, turning to look at Beca.

"Oh, nothing. Loving it. Great film." Beca replied, nodding at Chloe completely unconvincingly. Chloe examined Beca's forced smile for a moment before turning the movie off and standing. "What's wrong? Were you not enjoying it?"

"I can't do this Beca."

"Do what?" Beca's voice let out a weird sort of nervous laugh but Chloe wasn't going to play along with her oblivious act.

"I can't be your friend." Chloe said, folding her arms. Beca stood immediately and looked straight into Chloe's eyes pleadingly.

"Don't say that."

"But it's true. These feelings aren't going to go away and I don't think we'll be able to be friends the way we were before because of it."

"We can't be more Chloe, I told you that." Beca shook her head.

"Why not?"

"Because I can't lose you." Beca ran an aggravated hand through her hair and turned away, ready to shut down the conversation, but Chloe wouldn't let her. Not this time.

"You're already losing me!" She cried. That made Beca pause. She faced Chloe once more.

"What?"

"We already don't know how to act around one another! You're trying too hard to go along with what I want to do and I have no idea how to be within three feet of you without going to kiss you again!"

"It's fine Chloe! The friendship is fine!"

"No it's not! Neither of us knows how to be ourselves around the other anymore. How long is it before one of us decides that hanging out is too awkward? Decides to not text that day in case it's too much? How long do you reckon it's going to take for us to fall out of contact once the only words we can exchange are pleasantries about the weather because that's the only safe area of conversation? If that...weirdness just now is any indication, not long at all. Things have already changed Beca. You can pretend it isn't happening all you want but you and I both know it's complete and utter bullshit because we are _not _fine."

"Then we'll make it fine! We're both here all summer, we can hang out every day and get back to where we were." Desperation began to pour from Beca as she took in the truth of Chloe's words.

"No Beca. I'm going home tomorrow."

"…what?" Beca's eyes searched Chloe's for some hint of a lie but found none.

"I came here because I didn't want the last conversation we had to be the last thing we said to each other before I went but…I need to get some space from all this, because I _cannot _deal with being your friend right now. I…I lied to you the other day. When I said I like you. I _love _you Beca." There was a distinct intake of air from Beca here but Chloe forged on. "I love you and I have for a long time now. I have spent so long loving you, hoping for some kind of sign that you were interested and now you tell me you are but you don't want to be together? I could barely handle pretending to only have platonic feelings for you before. There's no way I can do it now. Not knowing how you feel."

"Chloe….I…" Chloe was hoping for some kind of turnaround in attitude from Beca now that she had laid all her cards on the table but when she looked into those gorgeous eyes, she saw a turmoil of emotion that she knew it would take Beca a while to work through.

"The decision is in your hands Beca. We'll talk when I get back at the beginning of term." Chloe drew the folded picture from her back pocket and placed it in Beca's hands. She delivered a swift kiss to the DJ's cheek and exited the room to go pack for her departure the next day.

* * *

_**Damn, Beca took some heat from you guys for last chapter. Thanks to the following for reviewing and to all those who have favourite/followed:**_

_**destinysoccerplayer (Now where's the fun in that?)**_

_**Dracossack **_

_**SianSophieLove (thank you, I'm glad you're enjoying it so much)**_

_**Roses and Poison Ivy**_

_**Knope. We. Can**_

_**Shortstack 13**_

_**Guest**_

_**percabethatw**_

_**llvr**_

_**Gui (a bus full of Cheerios and I do whatever you damn want)**_

_**Guest**_

_**awriterofthings**_

_**Meg Rules**_

_**writersjoint (….can I interest you in some Gaviscon?)**_

_**Reda V**_

_**Yan**_

_**Asswipe**_

_**Only2or3**_

_**Guest**_

_**Biggiewoods**_

_**Harley Quinn Davidson**_

_**Guest**_

_**whatpancakes**_

_**FriskyFisher**_

_**Defying-gravy**_

_**Huh (haha, good message, I'll see what I can do)**_

_**Guest**_

_**Guestt**_

_**Guest**_

_**Lucakutya**_

_**Electronis Zappa**_

_**elizabeth. mary. stark**_

_**number1thatsme**_

_**immablackstar**_

_**Lizlovesmusic (weenie? Think you need to cool it with the strong language there :P)**_

_**Imagination Genius**_

_**I'm That Misfit**_


	12. Please, Please, Please

_**Sorry this took so long. Hopefully the length makes up for it. Big thank you Dracossack for being kind enough to look this over for me. Title for this chapter is taken from a song by The Smiths of the same name. I thought it seemed appropriate.**_

* * *

Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want This Time

Chloe snorted involuntarily watching Jacob hop about the room in his wordless imitation of an iceberg. Her body convulsed with laughter more and more as his movements became increasingly frantic while Adam continued to guess wrong again and again.

"A donkey? Are you some kind of donkey? Is it Shrek? No? Then what the hell are you?!" Adam yelled, becoming panicked as the timer seconds ticked away. Jacob's eyes bulged with frustration at his brother's lack of understanding and made a few more urgent gestures before the harsh buzz of the time cut him off. Jacob stood red faced and panting from the sheer exertion of his efforts before rounding on his brother.

"A DONKEY?! HOW IS THIS…" Jacob did his iceberg impression once more "…A FU-"

"Language!"

"Sorry mum -A FRICKING DONKEY?!"

"Well what were you supposed to be?!"

"I was acting out Titanic dumb ass!" Realisation dawned in Adam's eyes as he put Jacob's movements together.

"…ooooooh, yeah, I can see how that would be Titanic. My bad." Adam grinned at a still furious Jacob who turned to Judi indignantly.

"I demand a new partner. He's an idiot."

"Now now, Jacob, don't be like that." Judi admonished her eldest.

"What about you throwing the tv remote at dad earlier for not getting that you were doing E.T.?"

"That was different. He was being unnecessarily obtuse." Judi sniffed in a way that suggested her earlier behaviour was perfectly reasonable. She looked to where Chloe was collapsed shuddering on the floor of the Beale living room, having just fallen off the sofa with the force of her laughter. "Oh dear, you appear to have broken your sister. You okay, Chloe sweetie?"

Chloe just about managed to wheeze out a 'fine' once she regained control of her lungs. Being home again was like a breath of fresh air to her. Thoughts of Beca had weighed heavy on her mind the entire journey home but it hadn't taken long for her family to restore a bit of her spirit. Particularly once her father had insisted on games night the second evening of her being home when she wasn't so tired from travelling.

It was a Beale family tradition that had been around since they were kids but, now that they were older and all lived in different areas of the country, it was their way of reconnecting. Admittedly it usually quickly dissolved into one argument or another seeing as they were all highly competitive people, but they managed to keep things somewhat civil since the great Monopoly incident of 2009 (they don't play Monopoly anymore).

Right now they were indulging in a favourite, giving each other a movie to act out completely non-verbally and trying to get your partner to guess whatever film you had been given within a minute. Jacob and Adam weren't doing so well, much to the amusement of the rest of the family.

"Alright Chloe, you and Gideon are up next. Jacob gets to give you your film." Derek announced, ticking off another zero for Jacob and Adam on his score sheet. He failed to notice Gideon eagerly lurking over his shoulder to assess the situation.

"C'mon Chlo, pull yourself together. We're two points away from winning this thing!" Gideon whispered excitedly, hauling Chloe up and pushing her in the direction of the kitchen. Jacob stood by the stove waiting for her having given up on arguing with Adam.

"You doing okay Chlobo?" He asked.

"My chest kind of hurts but I'm good." Chloe wiped away the remnants of a laughter tear before she spotted her brother's sombre attitude.

"That wasn't really what I meant…you've been kind of distant since you got here. Just now was the first time I've seen you laugh properly." Chloe's smile fell slightly but she recovered so as to not worry her brother.

"It's nothing…just some girl trouble." Jacob eyed Chloe's tired smile carefully, then moved to give his littlest sibling a hug.

"Don't worry, she'll come around." He murmured reassuringly, planting a comforting kiss on the top of her head. Chloe didn't bother to question how he knew. Jacob had an uncanny knack for picking up on that sort of thing.

"And if she doesn't?" She wriggled further into the hug.

"I've watched enough episodes of Dexter to be reasonably sure I can hide the body without getting into trouble." Jacob responded completely calmly. Chloe pulled back to give him a concerned look.

"It worries me that you get to work with children on a daily basis."

"I'll be raising one soon enough." Jacob smirked as Chloe's eyes widened.

"Jacob…do you mean…?"

"Oh crap! Shhhhh!" He placed a hand over Chloe's mouth, seeing the imminent squeal coming. "No one is supposed to know yet, that just slipped out. Mary's travelling here tomorrow so we can break the news together."

"Seriously, Jacob? I can't believe they finally approved you for adoption! I'm so happy for you!" Chloe whisper yelled at her grinning brother. It had devastated Mary and Jacob when they found out they were unable to have kids. The two were made to be parents though and they'd been going through a long, gruelling process to adopt an orphan that Jacob had bonded with through his social services job.

"You have to keep this quiet or Mary's going to kill me."

"I promise, this is so exciting!"

"I'm going to be a dad! I swear I can't stop smi-"

"WOULD YOU TWO HURRY UP?!" Came an irate yell from the other room.

"BE PATIENT, WE'RE HAVING A MOMENT!"

"HAVE A MOMENT LATER, I WANT TO WIN!" Gideon yelled back.

"JUST A SEC." Jacob dropped his voice to a normal level. "We can talk later or they'll get suspicious, your challenge is to act out The Sound Of Music."

"Oh I can do that in my sle-"

"You can't sing in any way, shape or form though."

"…crap." While Chloe was distracted by mulling over how she was going to do this, Jacob disappeared off to answer the unusually late ring of a doorbell. She wandered back into the living room, ready for battle when Jacob escorted through the last person she had expected to be calling at her house at 11 o clock at night.

"Chloe, you have a guest." Jacob stated questioningly as Beca stood awkwardly, hands shoves in pockets and looking like there were a thousand different places she would prefer to be than there.

"Um…hi everyone." She greeted nervously, eyes sweeping over multiple Beale's in the room. They stopped when they came to rest on Chloe and stayed there. Her cheeks were tinged with pink from the cool night air and she appeared a bit rumpled by life. Chloe blinked in disbelief, still not 100% sure she wasn't imagining Beca standing there in her childhood home.

"Beca dear! It is wonderful to see you again! Here, let me take your coat." Judi said, already having leapt to her feet and dragged the coat halfway down the poor girl's arms before gripping her in a hug. "Now, can I offer you a cup of tea?"

"Um, no thank you Mrs Bea-"

"Judi."

"No thank you Judi. I was hoping to speak with Chloe."

"Beca….what are you doing here?"

"I just, um, I needed to talk to you. I'm sorry, you're busy…I should have rung first or something." She stood slowly but found herself incapable of saying anything. Every member of the Beale family flicked their eyes back and forth between the two but all Chloe could see was Beca, standing there looking more small and vulnerable than Chloe had ever seen her. Chloe nodded at Beca's pleading expression and motioned for the brunette to follow her.

"Ah ah, where do you think you're going?" Derek stood in Chloe's way as she went for the stairs to her room.

"Please daddy, can we have a moment?"

"Of course you can, but you can do it in my study."

"Seriously?"

"Yes seriously." Derek fixed Beca with a stern look that made her gulp. Chloe merely rolled her eyes at her father's overprotective nature.

"Fine, we'll go in your office. Come on Becs." Chloe steered them into the next room along. It wasn't until they were stood in Derek Beale's office that Chloe realised that she had been guiding Beca by the hand. Hesitantly releasing the girl that caused her heart to pound, Chloe crossed her arms and faced a still edgy Beca.

Chloe knew it was ridiculous but a small part of her felt almost resentful that Beca was here. She'd been doing so well to put the whole situation out of her mind while she was here and now every bit of pain came soaring back looking into those deep blue eyes Chloe couldn't help but love. Her sanctuary from all that had gone wrong now played host to the source of her troubles and nothing on her face gave any indication as to why she was there. Perhaps that was why her voice came out a little terse. "Well, you wanted to talk so…talk."

"I…" Beca fell at the first hurdle trying to get the words out. Then, Chloe felt a tiny flicker of hope begin to burn within her as Beca reached into her pocket and drew out the photo she had pressed into the younger girl's hands not more than 48 hours ago. Already it was a little grubbier and somehow more worn, as if someone had been repeatedly handling it for a length of time without any restraint. "I've been looking at this so much since you gave it to me. I swear I actually can't stop. I've just been looking at it and looking at it then the next thing I know, I'm in my dad's car travelling here."

"…to do what?" At Chloe's question, Beca finally looked up from the photo. Chloe was surprised to see she looked agitated.

"I was fine, you know? I used to be okay on my own. I'd get a little lonely sometimes but overall I was pretty content to be by myself. I had my own little world and I didn't feel the need to get attached to anyone and it was fine. Absolutely fine. All I needed was my plan to get to LA and any friendships or anything like that came second. Then you come along and you…you just fuck everything up! You make me care about so much more than just my own plans for life. I care about the Bellas, I care about my education, I even kinda care about stupid Aubrey. Then there's you! I care about you so damn much that I can't even make it one day knowing I hurt you without driving cross country for six hours to come rectify that!"

"Becs…are you saying what I think you're saying?" Beca ran a hand through her hair in frustration. She took a deep breath and when she spoke again it was in a much softer tone.

"Chloe, so many times I've thought someone is more than they actually are and been crushed when they turn out to be lying. You…you are so much more than I ever could have imagined from this world, so much more than I ever could have imagined for me, and yet, you still want to be around me for some reason. In the times when I feel like less of a human being than everyone else on this planet, you come along and make me feel like I could actually be someone. Like I'm worth something. You make the best times better and the worse times feel fleeting, like a bad dream that will someday pass. You are _everything_ to me. I thought I was preserving this thing that we have by trying to remain friends…but you're right. We're not friends, we never have been. I came here tonight because I want to be with you…if you'll still have me that is?"

Beca barely had time to finish her sentence before Chloe wordlessly crossed the room and pulled Beca to her. She took a single moment to run her thumb over the lips she had been dying to taste for so long…then she leaned in. Time slowed as she brought their lips together. Chloe could feel Beca's arms slide around her waist and hold her steady as they gently moved in tandem. Each sensation was crisp with unrelenting emotion unlikely the blurry heat of the other night. This was better somehow. They took the time to explore each other's mouths properly, slowly enjoying everything the other had to offer. The smooth glide of Beca's mouth over her own was a promise. A promise to stay this time. Beca went to pull away after a few moments but Chloe wasn't having any of it.

"Uh uh, I'm going to need more of that." Chloe didn't allow Beca the opportunity to protest, she simply hooked a hand around that back of Beca's neck and drew her back in. Each brush of Beca's lips against her own filled Chloe with such light that it was a wonder she didn't burst. Chloe made a dissatisfied noise as Beca pulled away again.

"Hey, where you going?" Chloe whined. She hadn't had enough yet…she wasn't completely sure she'd ever have enough of Beca but a little bit more for now would be nice.

"I'm sorry it's just, as incredibly awesome as this is, I'm a little weirded out by mini-Chloe staring at me." Beca pointed to a picture directly in her line of vision of a four year old Chloe looking all wide eyed and innocent.

"Just ignore it." Chloe smiled at Beca's cuteness before eagerly resuming their earlier activities. She didn't get long before Beca broke the kiss once more.

"Mmmph- I really want to but when you kiss me like that, you put thoughts in my head that feel very wrong with pictures of you as a kid looking at me from every direction. Their eyes are judging me." Beca uncomfortably gestured to the multiple pictures of the Beale children that Derek Beale had scattered around his office. Chloe began to giggle as she thought over everything that had just happened. "What?" Beca asked suspiciously.

"It's just…for all your pretending to be a badass, you came out with some really romantic stuff there Mitchell."

"I was trying the whole honesty thing. Screw you, Beale."

"Mmmm, yes please." Chloe bit her lip at the pleasant visual. Beca opened and closed her mouth a few times.

"…please don't put those thoughts in my head while your family is in the next room."

"Sorry."

"You're not sorry at all, are you?"

"Not even slightly." Chloe grinned. Beca grinned back until a thought struck and her face fell.

"Oh crap."

"What?"

"Your family. They still think we're together, how are we going to explain this?" Chloe attempted an innocent look in the face of Beca's panic.

"Ummm, funny story there…"

"…what?" The innocent look was obviously having no effect if the weary suspicion on Beca's face was anything to go by.

"Pretending to be my girlfriend was really for your benefit instead of my parents…I really really liked you and Aubrey thought if I got you to pretend to be my girlfriend then it'd get you used to the idea and maybe you'd make a move." Beca stayed quiet as she pondered this new information.

"So…all that stuff about lying to your parents about having a girlfriend?"

"They were in on the entire thing, they knew I was trying to win you over." Beca's face cracked into a grin and she chortled at Chloe's worry.

"Do you know what? I can't even be surprised. That's got Chloe all over it."

"You're not mad?"

"I'm mad you made me drool over you in that dress for an entire evening without being able to do anything about it. I about died when I saw what you were wearing." Beca grumbled at the memory.

"Sorry."

"You can make it up to me by wearing it again and letting me take you out sometime." Chloe blinked at the offer.

"Wow, that was pretty smooth Beca."

"I know, I'm kind of surprised at myself." Beca herself did look startled at her own words.

"So…what are we now? Are we dating or…?" Chloe ventured, trying to get a read on the girl in her arms.

"I don't want to be presumptuous, but I thought girlfriends sounded pretty good?"

"Girlfriends, girlfriends definitely works." Chloe beamed, giving Beca another slow kiss. They were interrupted by a suspicious sounding thump and whispers from the door behind them. Chloe pulled it open quickly to reveal the three Beale boys all clearly having positioned themselves to listen at the door. "Ever heard of a thing called privacy?" Adam pointed to the side, a quick glance around the corner revealed Judi and Derek cupping glasses to their ears to listen through the wall. Spotting Chloe, Judi quickly thrust her glass into a nearby Derek's hand.

"Derek! What abhorrent behaviour! I am shocked and appalled!"

"But Judi-"

"Shocked and appalled I tell you!" She yelled dramatically over her husband. Chloe just sighed at her mother's unconvincing show.

"Nice try, mum, but I'm not buying it." Judi's face fell slightly as she surveyed her youngest for some indication about how the talk had gone.

"Sorry precious, we wanted to make sure you were okay."

"Well…we are." Judi relaxed seeing nothing but a genuine smile on Chloe's face. Out the corner of her eye, Chloe spotted Beca failing to hide a huge yawn. "I'm also calling an end to games night, I think Beca needs to get to bed. Which she will be doing in my room. Not on the couch." Chloe stated firmly when Derek opened his mouth to protest. She looked pointedly at the glass in his hands and he sheepishly backed down.

"What about introductions?" Adam moaned, excited by the prospect of a new person in the house.

"We'll do introductions in the morning, c'mon Becs." Chloe took Beca by the hand and guided her past everyone (though not without Beca receiving a hug from each individual Beale family member. She had no clue what had hit her).

"Alright girls, sleep well!" Judi waved them off with a last goodbye. Derek couldn't help adding.

"Sleep being the key word!" Chloe elected to ignore that last comment, choosing instead to steer an apprehensive Beca into her room. "Don't worry about it Becs, I think he's having fun playing the over protective father you know. He doesn't get much of an opportunity to do it anymore."

"So I didn't need to bring my stab proof vest then?"

"Haha, you're cute when you're scared."

"You have _got_ to stop calling me cute."

"Stop being cute then." Beca frowned at her until Chloe found the look too adorable and kissed the brunette with very little resistance once Beca caught on to what was happening.

"Oh…okay. If that's what I get any time you call me cute then, by all means, go ahead."

"I will." Beca's grin quickly faded when she reached into her pocket to check her phone. "What is it?" Beca lifted up her phone to show 32 missed calls, 18 voicemails and 51 texts from various people. "Ouch, how have you've got so many?" Beca winced as she saw how many of the calls were from her father. Chloe gave her shoulders a reassuring rub to ease the mounting panic.

"I wasn't kidding when I said the next thing I knew was driving to see you. I stole my dad's car, didn't tell him where I was going, literally just upped and left. I didn't even bring any clothes. The only pit stop I made was to grab Aubrey's address book so I knew where to go."

"She let you take her address book?"

"Not exactly…I performed a tactical retrieval without her consent."

"Okay, forget my father. Be worried about Aubrey, she's seriously protective of that thing."

"Yeah, I'm getting that." Beca held up her phone again so Chloe could see a text message from Aubrey that contained more expletives than Chloe was aware the blonde was even knew of. "I need to call my dad. I did pretty much hijack his car with no warning."

"Careful there, badass, you've already had one trip to jail." Beca smirked as she lifted the phone to her ear. Almost immediately she pulled it away, flinching as an irate voice came blaring from the speaker. Chloe decided to take the opportunity to go get ready for bed. She took her stuff into the bathroom, as much as she would love to tease Beca, she figured the DJ wouldn't appreciate her doing it while she was trying to placate her father.

When she came back, Beca was tiredly running her hands over her eyes. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah, he was surprisingly okay about it. He just wanted to know I'm safe…of course he was pretty pissed that I drove for about six hours straight, went on at me about being irresponsible for a bit."

"You did what?! No breaks or anything?!"

"I stopped for petrol once…"

"Beca, that's not safe! What if you had fallen asleep?"

"I know! I know, trust me, I've just had this same conversation with my dad. I know it was stupid but seeing you was suddenly really important. I don't know what came over me. I…I had to see you." Beca sighed and shook her head. "Look at me. I can't even make it two days without you without going mental."

"I'm going to take that as a compliment." Chloe beamed. Beca merely rolled her eyes at her newly acquired girlfriend.

"You would."

"Here, you can sleep in these." Chloe handed Beca a shirt and some shorts to sleep in. There was a moment's pause while Beca waited for Chloe to avert her eyes.

"…you're not going to turn around are you?" Chloe shook her head with a smile. She was, of course, teasing Beca. She'd make her blush and stammer a bit before allowing Beca her privacy. "Okay then." Beca shrugged and quickly stripped off. Chloe stood with mouth open as Beca got completely naked, then redressed herself in the clothes Chloe had given her. Chloe's voice had taken on a rather hoarse, husky quality to it once she finally regained her powers of speech.

"I really wasn't expecting that to happen but I'm so glad it did."

"Well, I am pretty confident about all this." Beca said, winking in a way that made Chloe's mouth go dry.

"You should be." Beca laughed at the familiar dialogue as she settled herself on the bed with room for Chloe to get in next to her.

"C'mon, pervert, let's go to bed."

"You don't get to strip in front of me, then call me a pervert when I appreciate the view." Chloe grumbled at Beca's teasing.

"Fine, I won't strip again then."

"Whoa now, let's not go crazy." Beca opened her mouth, a witty retort no doubt on the tip of her tongue, but it was taken with a gargantuan yawn. "Sleep time I think." Chloe said lovingly. It was then Beca noticed the amount of room available to her and she happily star fished across the bed.

"Uhhhhn. Double bed. This is so nice. So much room. We won't even have to spoon to fit on it." Beca mumbled into her pillow. Chloe just raised an eyebrow at Beca. She gave the younger girl a shove so she could lay down next to her and dragged Beca's arm across her own waist.

"Beca. We're cuddling. Shut up and deal with it."

"Oh okay then."

"What? No fight?"

"…dammit. I hate this. Why?" Beca murmured in a completely unconvincing monotone while shifting closer into Chloe and burying her head in the back of the redhead's neck.

"Sure you don't secretly love cuddling?"

"Preposterous. Go to sleep Chlo." Beca's words may have said one thing but the way she smiled into the back of Chloe's neck and held her just that little bit tighter as she drifted off said completely another.

* * *

_**Again with the hate on poor Beca. You guys are hella protective of Chloe. Thanks to the following for reviewing and to all those who have favourite/followed:**_

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	13. Can't Keep Myself Away

_**Again, sorry for how long this took. Spent a few days visiting my mate at her uni so those were largely spent in a vodka induced haze, then the four hour train journey home I thought I'd have to write things was instead spent panicking because I couldn't find my memory stick with every bit of in progress writing I have on it (that was not fun), then I had to get my friend to mail me my memory stick when she found it and then I ended up splitting the chapter in half any way because it was getting to ridiculous lengths and still wasn't finished so…yeah. All that.**_

* * *

Can't Keep Myself Away

When Chloe awoke, the fear that last night had all been a dream came on her quickly. She cautiously cracked one eye open and felt her stomach plunge when she saw only empty bed in front of her. Sitting up, Chloe nearly whimpered at the thought she had imagined the whole thing. Fortunately, she barely had a few seconds to feel miserable before the door began easing its way open. Beca inched her way in, carefully trying to spill anything from the two steaming hot mugs she was holding. She frowned at Chloe's long face.

"What's got you so down?" Chloe's sad look rapidly transformed into one of glee at Beca's approach. She went to fling herself on the brunette but Beca stopped her. "Whoa whoa whoa! Cool it Red, wait until the tea's not in danger of scalding us both." Chloe waited patiently for Beca to set the mugs down on the bed side table. "There, now you may jump me." Beca grinned.

Chloe responded by pushing Beca down on to the bed and straddling her. Hovering her mouth just out of Beca's reach, she whispered 'good morning' and proceeded to impart a kiss on Beca that had the DJ sliding her hands up Chloe's shirt to dig her finger nails into the red head's hips. Chloe couldn't help but feel smug at Beca's slightly dazed look and heavily dilated pupils when she pulled back.

"It is a _very _good morning." Beca smiled playfully at Chloe who was already lowering herself for another kiss.

"Uh huh, definitely." Chloe agreed just before their lips collided. They spent some time embracing each other, allowing the freedom of their feelings to dictate their actions for a while. When they finally parted, lips swollen and lungs heaving, the tea Beca had been so kind as to fetch had long since gone cold and the sounds of various other Beale family members moving about downstairs could be heard.

"We should probably head downstairs before my mother appears and forces us to be sociable." Chloe sighed, shifting off Beca but only so she could curl herself into Beca's side.

"Probably." Beca muttered, making no attempt to move. It seemed neither of them were quite ready to leave their blissed out little bubble just yet. Instead she began tracing soothing patterns in Chloe's back until Chloe sighed.

"So what happens now?" Beca looked at her confused.

"I thought we just agreed to go downstairs?"

"No, I mean after that, are we going back to Barden?"

"That's up to you I suppose." Beca shrugged, turning her head back to look at the ceiling. Chloe bit her lip in indecision.

"Well, I wasn't planning on coming back here at all this summer but now that I'm here…I miss spending time with my family. I don't want to leave yet but I also really really don't want to be separated from you just yet either, especially not now that I can do this whenever I want." Chloe paused her musings to kiss Beca.

She didn't allow herself to enjoy it long though, knowing real life wouldn't disappear just because she wanted to make use of Beca's lips for a while. Chloe sighed. "I know you've got to get back though so I'm going to have to figure out what I'm doing pretty soon." Chloe was torn by her uncertainty until Beca's next words freed her from the responsibility of having to decide.

"Not necessarily, I rang my dad again this morning to check in and he said he normally car pools with Sheila anyway so he's fine with me keeping the car and staying here for a few days."

"Really?" Surprise coloured Chloe's tone as she examined Beca's nonchalant expression. "From the way you talk about your dad, I got the impression he's not exactly the lenient type."

"Yeah…well, he's not normally but…" Chloe's curiosity grew as Beca blushed slightly and her words faded into a mumble. Despite Chloe's pointed staring at the side of her head, Beca continued to be fascinated by the ceiling.

"What was that?" Beca sighed and gave in to Chloe's stare, turning to look at the red head.

"Once we started reconnecting properly, I kind of…I went to him for advice about you a few times okay? You were frustrating me and I needed an objective third party to talk to so basically he's been who I've been venting to all this time about my feelings. When I said I'd taken the car to come see you, he was actually pretty pleased. He thinks you're a good influence or something, I don't know. Anyway, he said I could stay for a bit, if you want me to that is?"

Excitement grew in Chloe, not just at the news that she would have Beca to herself for a little while longer, but also in the knowledge that Beca's decision to be with Chloe wasn't 100% impulsive. Emotionally closed off, refuser of serious conversations, dark and brooding Beca went to her _dad _to talk about her _feelings. _If that wasn't a sign that she was seriously in to Chloe then Chloe didn't know what was. Chloe pressed herself further in to Beca's side in excitement.

"Of course I do! This is perfect Becs! We can stay here for a few days and then road trip back to Barden together!"

"Jeez, we've not even been in a relationship for less than 24 hours and already I'm staying with the family and being roped into a road trip." Beca groaned. Despite her using a mocking tone, it set off warning bells in Chloe's head as Beca detangled herself and went to stand up.

"…you don't mind do you?" Chloe sat up on the bed while Beca stretched her legs. Beca paused, thinking over Chloe's words before her expression relaxed somewhat and she smiled at Chloe's nervousness.

"No, I actually don't. Which is a surprise. A good surprise though. I'm not freaking out or anything. I must be growing."

"Really? Because…" Chloe pointedly stood up and gestured with her eyes at their height difference.

"Oh ha ha, Beca's a short arse, let's be original and make fun of that." Voice dripping with sarcasm, her eyes narrowed as Chloe laughed.

"I'm only teasing, you're perfectly sized for me to do this." Chloe rested her arms on Beca's shoulders to deliver a gentle languid kiss to her lips.

"Mmm, okay, you're forgiven." Chloe was about to go in for another kiss (one never seemed enough, the sensation was seriously addictive) but stopped when she saw a flicker of fear on the younger girl's face.

"Hey, what's on your mind?"

"I…honestly Chlo? …I know everything's fine and I'm not freaking out or running right now…but that doesn't mean it couldn't happen. I'm not good with relationshippy stuff and I'm going to need you to be patient with me. It takes me a while to work through things but it doesn't ever mean I'm not trying okay? Just…don't ever think I'm not trying." The fear in Beca's eyes tore at Chloe's heart a little. She was already so concerned she was going to ruin this and Chloe had to lay these fears to rest now before Beca became consumed by worry.

"Shh Becs, it's okay. I know you. I know from time to time you're going to need some time to yourself to be in your own space. I know you need more time to deal with emotions but I'm not going anywhere. I love you and I'm here to stay." Beca nodded with relief and kissed Chloe. The first one she'd initiated since that night back in Barden. Chloe revelled in the moment and tried not to think too much on Beca not saying those three words back.

She'd literally just promised to allow Beca a bit of breathing room to work things through though and Chloe wasn't going to go back on that. After a few moments, Chloe pulled away with a groan. "I need ring Bree. Let her know what's happening. She'll kill me if I don't keep her updated." Beca didn't seem in favour of this suggestion and successfully distracted Chloe a few times before the red head finally put some distance between them and picked up her phone. A familiar voice greeted her after the first ring.

"This is Aubrey Posen."

"…okay, why do you always answer your phone like that?"

"It's professional."

"But you know it's me! My face comes up flashing the screen. I already know it's you. You can't just say 'hello' like a normal person?"

"You can never be too careful."

"Jeez you're paranoid."

"Did you call just to insult me or are we actually going to have a conversation?"

"I was calling to let you know that Beca's here and-" Chloe winced and had to yank the phone away from her ear at the sudden screech that came from it.

"What?! Beca's there? In your home?"

"Yeah, why else do you think she stole your address book?"

"Her main purpose in life appears to be irritating me. I don't feel it necessary to question her oddly accurate methods. She better not damage it in any way shape or form."

"Bree says you're not to harm her address book." Chloe called across the room to where Beca had re-seated herself on the bed. Beca just poked her tongue out in response.

"Chloe, does this mean she has finally seen fit to remove her head from her ass?"

"I wouldn't put it quite like that…but yes. We're together now." Chloe couldn't help the grin that spread across her face saying that. A most uncharacteristic squeal of happiness came from the phone. Chloe knew Aubrey would never directly admit it but she'd been in favour of the match since the fake dinner with her parents.

"See? A Posen plan never fails." Chloe rolled her eyes at the smugness in Aubrey's voice.

"Uh excuse me? I believe I did all the hard work."

"You didn't have to tackle Stacie to the ground. I did."

"…I beg your pardon?"

"Oh, did I not tell you about that? At the restaurant, Stacie was approaching and I had to act quickly."

"We are so having a conversation about that when I get back. I…" Chloe paused at a muffled sound from Aubrey's end of the line. "Is somebody there with you?" There was a long silence.

"…no."

"I can hear someone talking."

"Oh look at the time! Must dash!"

"Aubrey Rosanna Posen! Don't you dare hang up on-!" Chloe huffed at the dial tone ringing from her phone. "She hung up on me." Beca just smirked wolfishly while Chloe pouted at her phone.

"Aubrey Rosanna Posen? I'm going to make use of that."

"Oh no, don't you dare." Chloe's resolve wavered a little in the face of Beca's pout but, miraculously, she held her ground. "Stop that. There's a good chance she'll actually kill me if you use that against her."

"Well I don't want that…guess I'll have to find another way to torture her." Beca retrieved her phone and Aubrey's address book from her coat pocket. Chloe grew worried as Beca picked up a pair of scissors from her desk.

"Beca…what are you doing?"

"Don't worry, just taking a selfie." Beca positioned the scissors in the pages of the address book so it looked like she was cutting into them without actually causing the object any damage. Then she smiled into her phone camera, took a picture and sent it to Aubrey. "There, and now we let her stew for a bit." Beca smiled. Almost immediately, Beca's phone lit up with an angry buzzing.

"You're an evil mastermind, you know that?" Chloe shook her head in amusement as she went to embrace Beca.

"Of course, you chose to be with an evil mastermind though so any consequences are entirely your fault. I'm yours to deal with and there's nothing you can do about it." Beca tugged her closer and Chloe let out a shuddering breath at Beca's words.

"Say it again?"

"What?"

"That you're mine." Chloe's eyes pleaded with the brunette. Beca didn't make her wait long, arms looping around Chloe's waist to emphasise the truth of her words.

"I'm yours Chloe." Beca reassured, pulling Chloe in closer until their lips were almost touching.

"Once more?"

"All yours." Chloe sighed into Beca's mouth in contentment as she brought their lips together.

A squeal came from downstairs and broke their moment. Chloe guessed from the faint mumbling that interspersed the excited noises, her sister-in-law had arrived and was probably being accosted by her mother. "Come on. We'd better make an appearance. My brother and his wife are making an announcement today so I think we'll be called soon anyway. You ready to be sociable?" Beca ran a hand over her face wearily.

"As ready as I'll ever be."

* * *

_**Thanks to the following for reviewing and to all those who have favourite/followed:**_

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_**Pinks (that is a very good point and something that was brought to my attention recently. I plan to polish this story up once it's finished, get rid of the English slang, correct a few typos etc. I just think that this story is coming to a close and I'd rather get the content out than delay chapter uploads even further because I already feel it's taking me too long to get each chapter out. Thank you for that though, it's the kind of constructive criticism that really helps me feel I can improve what I'm doing as an author.)**_

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	14. Scrabble

_**Sorry for delays again. Big thank you to Dracossack for putting up with me whining about needing to write something and then not writing anything anyway. Looking over this for me once I finally got my arse in gear was also most helpful you fantastic human being.**_

* * *

…"Scrabble"

Beca stared mutinously at Chloe as she handed her another pair of socks to fold. After a full week spent hanging out in the Beale household, Beca and Chloe were packing Chloe's stuff to head back to Barden while the rest of the family went to look around a fair (Chloe was a little bummed they weren't able to go. Beca was not.)

"Come on, you promised you'd help me pack."

"That was before I realized how many clothes you decided to bring." Chloe laughed at Beca's pitiful attempt at evil eyes. It kind of just made Chloe want to pinch her cheek. She settled for a teasing swat to Beca's arm instead, figuring she wouldn't appreciate Chloe making her feel like a five year old.

"I thought I'd be here all summer and I like to be ready for anything."

"I'll say, what did you think you'd need this for in the middle of summer?" Beca questioned, holding up a thick fleece.

"You can never be too prepared…and now I'm quoting Bree. Blame her, her over packing habits have rubbed off over the years." Beca grumbled under her breath as she tried to squish the coat into Chloe's oversized suitcase. Once she finally managed it, her eyes ran around the room quietly and she sighed. Chloe caught the vaguely morose expression and decided to confront Beca's behavior. "Okay, now I know that wasn't about the folding. What's the matter?"

Chloe waited silently for a response as Beca's hands twitched around each other. A brief grip of Chloe's hand and a reassuring stroke of the thumb convinced Beca to speak her mind.

"It's been really nice the last couple of days. I thought this kind of thing would weird me out but…I never really had the typical family experience growing up. Everything we did, your family went out of their way to make me feel included and…yeah, it's been pretty awesome seeing how a proper, functional family works. Going for walks together and actually sitting down all together for meals and talking_, _actually properly _talking_ because you're interested in what everyone else has to say. I even liked all the weird little games you guys play…except that movie game, had no clue what the hell was going on there."

"I know babe, we lost by a very wide margin." Chloe oddly found that she didn't mind losing so much when Beca was her partner, the concentration face she made trying to figure out which movie she was supposed to know was really quite endearing. As was the one she was pulling now. It was a vulnerable, yet contented smile that was far more open than her traditional smirk. Chloe loved that she got to see the honesty flowing from Beca in these moments.

"Anyway, I never got any of that when I was a kid and it's strange how much I liked it."

Chloe felt relieved at that admission. She'd been worried that Beca was putting up with a lot over the past few days considering her preference for having her own space and the collective Beale family trait of not understanding what someone's own space actually was. Mary had been kind enough to take Beca under her wing as a fellow outsider whenever the excitement got a bit much but Chloe still fretted that Beca was uncomfortable. To hear that she was enjoying everything made Chloe's heart swell.

…even if Beca had been a little scandalized to learn that Mary had met Jacob while participating in a naked mile run for charity and, similarly, Gideon had got a job as a nude model for a life drawing class and had wandered butt naked into the wrong studio where he alarmed his, now girlfriend, Lucy. The Beale's had all laughed at Beca's expression when she exclaimed "Seriously? What is it with you Beale's and inappropriate nakedness equaling romance? Is this some sort of family code of conduct or something?"

Chloe's reminiscing was interrupted by a movement in the corner of her eye. She snapped back to the present to enjoy the sight of Beca being Beca. She took absolutely no shame in staring as Beca lifted her hands above her head and stretched every available muscle with a pleased groan. It made her chest move in a most hypnotic manner that had Chloe humming gently in appreciation.

Several nights spent in extremely close proximity to Beca without any time to herself to, ahem, relieve the tension were beginning to wear on Chloe. Beca had this way of being incredibly enticing without being aware of it and the smirk she was giving Chloe right now was doing nothing for her self-control.

"Something wrong Chlo?" Chloe's eyes widened slightly in surprise as the teasing lilt in Beca's voice that made her realize that Beca knew exactly what she was doing. Doing the whole 'trying to be respectful and not rush the relationship' thing is extremely difficult when your girlfriend is possibly (and somehow unintentionally) the hottest thing on two legs.

Doing it when your girlfriend is the using her status as the hottest thing on two legs to be all tempting and seducy? Honestly, it was hardly surprising when Chloe's resolve wavered. She wasted little time in backing Beca up until she fell onto the bed at the lightest shove and was soon straddling the gorgeous brunette. Desire flashed through Beca's eyes and Chloe threw all thoughts about waiting out of the window.

Beca pulled Chloe forward by the front of her shirt and kissed her urgently, removing that tiny last little bit of doubt that Beca needed more time. Logic and worry gave way to heat as Beca stripped Chloe of her shirt and allowed the red head to return the favor. Everything was going perfectly until Chloe began laying a trail of kisses down a shirtless Beca's stomach. There was a slight twitch from the younger girl that seemed out of place, a subconscious retreat. Listening carefully for any sign of protest from her, Chloe didn't miss the way Beca's body became just that little bit tenser when Chloe went to remove her bra.

"What are you doing?" Beca moaned in protest, Chloe having drawn away from her the second she felt Beca's hesitance.

"Something's bothering you. You're not ready are you?"

"I am! God, I am so ready Chloe. I have been wanting this for so fucking long." Beca's reverential tone as she looked at Chloe and the way she lightly dragged her fingernails down Chloe's stomach made Chloe blink for a moment as she tried to re-gather her thoughts. Beca appeared to be telling the truth…but there was still something holding her back and Chloe wanted to know what it was so they could do this without any regrets.

"Then what's the matter? Why are you so tense?" Beca looked down and made an embarrassed, unintelligible noise that Chloe couldn't make out. Lifting Beca's head to look at her, Chloe gave her a reassuring kiss until Beca relaxed a little. "What is it? What's bothering you?"

"I…I've never…I mean, not with a woman you know?"

"So?"

"So...what if I'm not good at it? What if I suck so bad you don't want to be with me? What if-" Chloe cut Beca off from her panicked rambling.

"Beca! Beca, shhh. It's okay. First off, you cannot seriously think after all the drama it took to get you that I would let you go so easily?"

"It could happen."

"No. It really couldn't." Chloe said with a soft finality that brooked no argument. Beca smiled at that. "Secondly, don't be nervous. I think a large part of sex is learning the other person's body anyway. Figuring out that spot..."

Here Chloe lent forward and lightly suckled at an area on Beca's neck that she'd become familiar with these past few day as somewhere that made Beca moan.

"…that drives them wild. Understanding what it is…"

She teasingly brushed her hands up the sides of Beca's body, enjoying the hitch in her breathing

"…they do and don't like. Everything you've done so far has been very much to my liking so I have no doubt that you are going to be fantastic. Okay?"

"Okay." Beca's breathing grew shallow as Chloe's grin went from soft and sweet to devious and downright predatory in the space of a few seconds.

"Right then. I'm going to learn everything about what you like Beca. _Everything_."

* * *

"Stop laughing." Chloe turned her face into the pillow, trying to hold back her smile, but the tremors that wracked her body gave her away to her scowling girlfriend. "You seriously have to stop laughing. It's not funny."

Finally getting her body under control, Chloe brought her head out of the pillow to look at Beca who was less than happy with Chloe's laughing fit. "You are doing nothing for my self-confidence here."

"I'm sorry, I don't mean to. You looked so unbelievably shocked though. It's like you've never had an orgasm before…"

"Of course I have but…"

"But?"

"Nothing like _that._ There's sex and then there's what you just did and I…fuck…wow. That should be illegal." The look of cute incredulity was back on Beca's face, making Chloe giggle again. "You don't have to be so amused by it." Beca said, face morphing from blissed out to an indignant scowl in the space of a few seconds.

"Sorry, it's a pretty good feeling though. Knowing I put that look there."

"Uh huh?"

"And you know you'd be reacting exactly the same as me if I had that expression." Chloe allowed each word to roll off her tongue seductively, eyes issuing Beca with an unspoken challenge.

"Oh yeah?" Chloe bit her lip as Beca raised an eyebrow at her teasing tone. She opened her mouth to rile up the brunette some more but next thing Chloe knew, she had been flipped onto her back and was groaning at the fevered kisses Beca was placing along her body. All higher function left Chloe's brain as dark blue eye smirked at her and a low voice whispered "let's find out shall we?"

Later, when Chloe and Beca had fully compensated for the months of unresolved sexual tension between them and the collective Beale clan had returned from their ventures, they gathered downstairs for a final family meal before everyone except the two heads of the Beale family departed the next morning. Chloe sat back and allowed the standard banter of her family flying about the table to fill her with happiness. It was highly pleasing to watch her girlfriend interact so easily with her family like she belonged there.

If Chloe was being honest with herself, she hadn't imagined this scene occurring. Even in the midst of her desire for Beca, this was one fantasy she hadn't played out. Just the simple satisfaction of the girl she loved and the people she loved getting on so easily brought Chloe more joy than she thought was possible.

It was perfect watching as her mom tried to bully Beca into her third portion of the evening (Judi had got it into her head that Beca's small stature was the result of an improper diet and she needed feeding up a bit). Beca shot Chloe 'help me' eyes as Judi ladled more food onto Beca's already full plate but Chloe just snorted under her breath at Beca's inability to defy her domineering mom.

Beca, of course, got her revenge later on when Derek enquired about what they'd got up to after they finished packing. Beca had turned bright red and immediately began pointedly drinking her water, leaving Chloe to try and think up an activity they could have been doing. (Scrabble? For five hours? -Yup, we just really really love Scrabble, don't we Becs?)

The next morning, after a completely sexless night (Beca refused to do anything with Chloe's family in the house…spoilsport) Derek and Judi came to see them off. Jacob, Mary, Gideon and Adam had all already hit the road, leaving just Chloe and Beca to say their farewells…though not without Beca receiving a cautioning speech from each of them about mistreating Chloe.

"Do drive safe won't you Beca darling?" Judi fretted as the last item went into the car.

"Of course I will Judi. I'm carrying precious cargo." Beca smiled at Chloe, making Judi squeak at the cuteness. Chloe wondered when Beca had gotten so smooth…but she wasn't complaining.

"Aren't you a sweetheart! Here, have a cookie for the journey." Judi began brandishing a cookie the size of a frisbee in Beca's direction.

"Um, thanks Judi but I'm still pretty full from the twenty pancakes you made me for breakfast."

"Oh nonsense, everyone loves a cookie. Go on." Judi insisted, waving the cookie in Beca's face.

"No really, I'm fine, I swe-MMPH!" Judi took advantage of Beca's open mouth to jam the cookie in.

"Shhh, just enjoy your cookie sweetie." Chloe and her dad tried to control their sniggering as Judi patted Beca's cheek which was now distorted with the size of the cookie currently occupying it. Beca's startled look and wide mouth left her looking somewhat akin to a tree frog.

"Ut-I-on't-anna-ookie!" Came the muffled protest.

"Try not to speak with your mouth full Beca, there's a good girl." Beca sighed around the cookie and gave in to Judi's relentless cheeriness.

"Phrankoo-oodi."

"I beg your pardon?"

"I think she's saying thank you mom."

"Oh, no problem darling. Here Chloe, take this box with you will you? I've put some snacks in there for you to share. And make sure Beca eats some will you? She's so tiny…"

"Don't worry mum, I'll make sure Beca does _plenty_ of eating." The muffled sound of Beca choking in the back ground was music to Chloe's ears.

"It's okay Beca, I got you." Derek smiled before proceeding to nearly drive Beca in to the ground with the force of his back pats.

"Thank you Mr Beale." Shakingly came the hoarse reply from a cookie-free Beca.

"I think it's time you called me Derek don't you?" Beca looked up at that. He'd been insisting on Mr Beale all week. Chloe smiled as Beca realized she had Derek Beale's complete approval.

"Okay then…Derek." Barely having been given time to recover from Derek's "helpful" back pats, Beca was then introduced to a Derek Beale hug…which is about three times more powerful than a regular Beale hug. Chloe actually somewhat feared for her girlfriend's safety as Derek released her and gave her a gentle nudge in the direction of the car. Nevertheless, Beca managed to weakly stagger towards it and into the driver's seat while Chloe hugged her parents goodbye. Having fulfilled the mandatory ten minutes of hugging that was required for long absences, Chloe went to join Beca in the car.

"Back to Barden?" Questioned a now normal colored Beca.

"Back to Barden." Chloe nodded.

* * *

"I'm serious Chlo, you have to delete that video." Beca grumbled, trying to snatch Chloe's phone from her. Chloe skilfully evaded her grasp and went to start unloading their stuff.

"I don't think I do. In fact, I think what I need to do is show it to everyone."

"You can't do that! I have a badass image to maintain!"

"Badasses do not sing along to the Spice Girls at the top of their lungs." Chloe raised an eyebrow, still loving the memory of Beca exuberantly singing along on their road trip. Beca simply glared in return.

"They do when their girlfriend tricks them into it."

"I just put the song on, you decided to join in."

"You used your feminine wiles." As she continued to playfully argue with a scowling Beca whilst they unpacked the car, Chloe was in the best mood ever. It took them about eight hours to get back to Barden including breaks and it had been eight of the best hours of Chloe's life. Just eight hours of them joking around together and singing along to whatever they wanted, windows down with the world blurring past them. As they began to head towards the building, Chloe noticed a shadow pass over Beca's face.

"What's with the sudden frowny face?"

"Just…no more bubble, you know?"

"…I'm not following."

"The time we spent at your parents, it's been completely awesome. Yeah we were around your family but, they're not Barden people. Now we're back we'll have to deal with the Bellas and my dad and classes and roommates and….and real life I guess. It's not just us anymore." Chloe paused before they went in, arms looping over Beca's shoulders.

"True, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Yeah, we've had an amazing time on our own but that doesn't mean we can't have an amazing time here too. When I think of all the times during the past year where I wanted to hold your hand walking to Bellas practice or to kiss you after a performance or snuggle down with you during Bella movie night…we can do all those things now. There's so much I want to do and I want the world to see me doing it with my girlfriend." Beca grimaced here. "Okay, bad choice of wording there, not doing _it_ but…gah."

"It's okay Chlo. I know what you mean." Beca chuckled at Chloe's sudden flustered state.

"Of course you do." Chloe said softly as the embarrassment faded. Beca _got _her. They exchanged a few more sweet kisses before Chloe separated them and tugged Beca into her building. "Come on. I haven't spoken to Bree in a couple of days, I don't think I even told her we were coming back today and I urgently need best friend chats."

"Ugh, Aubrey." Beca made a face of mild disgust.

"Aw Becs, don't be like that. How does it go?"

"Oh no…"

"If you wanna be my lover…" Chloe sang.

"Chloe. No."

"You gotta get with my friends..."

"Chloe. Stop."

"Make it last forever…."

"Chloe, people are staring."

"FRIENDSHIP NEVER E-mmph!" As much fun as Chloe was having torturing Beca, the things Beca was now doing with her tongue were far more thrilling. When Beca pulled back, it was with a self-satisfied smirk at Chloe's dazed demeanour.

"I had to shut you up somehow."

"By all means, do continue." Chloe kept her arms around Beca, refusing to let her step back.

"You are such a dork, you know that right?"

"And proud of it."

"God I love you." Beca breathed into Chloe's mouth. Now that made Chloe pull back. She wanted to get a better look into Beca's eyes.

"You do?"

"Yeah. I mean, I was kind of freaking out back there a little about what comes next. You knew exactly what to say to make everything better and then you go ahead and cheer me up by serenading me with the fucking Spice Girls and…yeah, I just really really love you. Like…a worrying amount." Beca shrugged.

"That's good because I love you a worrying amount too." They kissed briefly and tenderly but, before they could get too into it, Chloe began walking away.

"Hey, where are you going?"

"After that confession, I've got plans for you Mitchell. They can either be done out here in the hallway or in the privacy of my room. Unless you're suddenly into exhibitionism, trust me, you're going to want to pick the room."

Chloe winked and decided to allow a still reeling Beca a moment's reprieve as she slid her key into the lock and went into the apartment. Unfortunately, all thoughts of seducing her girlfriend were rammed out of her head by two bodies scrambling to get under the throw that casually rested on Aubrey and Chloe's sofa.

"Oh…hello ladies." Aubrey said nonchalantly, trying to ignore the fact her bra was swinging from the ceiling fan while a clearly naked Stacie grinned at them from under their small covering. Chloe gaped open mouthed as she tried to make sense of the sight in front of her. Naturally, her brain leapt to the first thing Aubrey laid down as law a dozen times over.

"What happened to no sex on the sofa?!"

"I…um….well…" Aubrey stammered.

"We did it on the kitchen table too." Stacie grinned.

"STACIE!"

_The End._

* * *

_**Short epilogue to follow. Thanks to the following for reviewing and to all those who have favourited/followed:**_

_**Bechloeismylife**_

_**Guest**_

_**Knope. We. Can (I smiled like an idiot reading that so we're even)**_

_**Harley Quinn Davidson**_

_**BritishStarDreams**_

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_**Arieva LeFly**_

_**Guest**_

_**Guest**_

_**Percabethatw**_

_**Dracossack**_

_**Defying-gravy**_

_**Huh**_

_**Normal-Is-Overratedx**_

_**SunDanceQT**_

_**plantyplant (slightly worry, yes :P)**_

_**Asswipe**_

_**acafuckmylife (I adore your stories so this review really made me smile. Thank you :D)**_

_**OTAKU YUMIKURI**_


	15. Epilogue

_**Okay, so I know it probably seems very redundant to upload this given how long it's taken but it's been bugging me that I never finished it. Again, a big big thank you to Dracossack who has been invaluable in talking through ideas with me and just generally being an awesome person all round. So…yeah, my first completely finished multi-chap work! And it only took *checks publication date* about a year and a month…woops.**_

* * *

Epilogue

**Approximately two years later**

"...okay, so that's the kitchen and, this is really important, you must label any food or Amy will be on it faster than you can say 'under no circumstances is anyone to touch my very special lasagne I made for my girlfriend for our date night,'" Beca finished, glaring at a nonchalant looking Amy.

"Quit giving me the stink eye, short stack, you know the rules. If it ain't labeled, I'm on it. I get crazy food eyes when I'm hungry." Beca sighed in despair and turned back to the two newest additions to the Bellas.

"And that concludes our tour of the Bellas' household and your new home. Any questions?" One of the new girls, Emily, timidly raised her hand. "Yeah?"

"Is she ever going to blink?" She asked, darting nervous glances at Lily.

"No. Anything else?" Both girls shook their head. "Awesome, welcome to the Bellas' house. I hope you're prepared to have a bunch of weirdos constantly singing at you. Beca went to guide the newbies to their rooms but she was interrupted by Chloe.

"Um, babe? Aren't you forgetting something?"

"…am I?"

"The stairs?" Chloe hinted and Beca frowned.

"Come on Chlo, do we have to? Jessica broke her collarbone doing that."

"It's tradition."

"It's only been in practice for one year! And it came into practice while we were all out of our heads on tequila."

"We all did it and it's your responsibility as captain to enforce the duties and responsibilities of a Bella woman." Chloe insisted smiling.

"Oh my God, how did I fall for such a complete weirdo?" The red head heard Beca grumbling to herself. Still, Beca turned and went to fetch the disc-like sled that the Bellas used for such occasions. "Come on then, try not to die please."

"Wait? What? What are we doing?!" Emily tried to question as the Bellas began herding her and Flo, the other new Bella, through to the staircase. The plastic circle was shoved in to a scared Emily's hand.

"Every Bella must christen the house by sliding down the staircase." Chloe explained.

"That's not the only christening that staircase has received." Amy muttered under her breath, and Chloe enjoyed the alarming speed at which Beca's ears turned red.

"Okay, not important right no-"

"Then there was the time the couch got christened too." Cynthia Rose added.

"Guys, come on, focu-"

"And the kitchen table." Denise chimed in.

"Seriously? Can we-"

"Arrived early to rehearsal one time and there's Beca and Chloe, already 'christening' away." Ashley grimaced.

"Oh my God!"

"You two have a lot of sex." Stacie added, making an already mortified Beca blush further while Chloe just laughed into her hand at her girlfriend's embarrassment.

"Thank you for the clarification, Stacie. Can we please get back to what we were doing?"

"…these have been cleaned right?" Flo asked, gesturing to the stairs and making Beca growl.

"Yes. Now slide down the damn staircase."

"Are you sure this is safe? Emily questioned hesitantly.

"Totally. Let me show you." Amy grinned, snatching the disc sled from her and going to the top of the stairs. Chloe had hoped she would provide a nice, safe demonstration, but no, Amy managed to make it look as painful as possible and hit every wall on the way down.

"Crushed it." She grinned, standing up and trying not to wince after her epic head over heels finish.

"May as well get this over with." Flo sighed, taking the disc and going up the stairs. Getting her balance beforehand, she managed to slide smoothly down with a few bumps, though with considerably more finesse than Amy had.

"See, Em? It's not so bad." Chloe gave the new girl an encouraging nudge as Flo stood back up and dusted herself off. Emily slowly stepped forward and took the disc.

"Okay, I can do this." She breathed out.

"That's the spirit." Amy said, patting her on the back. The Bellas all cheered and whooped in encouragement as she cautiously climbed the stairs. Reaching the top, she closed her eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath before flinging herself down…with entirely too much momentum. Every Bella flinched as Emily tumbled down the stairs with a series of sharp thuds and rolled into an unmoving ball at the bottom.

"Em? You okay?" Chloe called nervously into the silence.

"I need ice." Came the pained whimper of a reply. Beca glowered at Chloe.

"This is your fault."

* * *

"You sure you're okay?" Chloe smiled as Beca continued to fret about Emily as she had done for the past hour.

"Yeah, I'm fine Cap'. Really." Emily insisted, causing Beca to eye her skeptically.

"I'm going to get you some more ice." She stood and exited Emily's room, leaving Chloe perched on the bed along with Stacie and the wounded Bella.

"Here, let's see if the swelling has gone down at all." Chloe smiled, going to lift the ice pack off Emily's ankle.

"How does it look?"

"Still pretty swollen but I think it's going down. It's definitely not getting worse which is a good sign. You just need to rest it and make sure you walk on it normally if you do have to walk. It'll be okay." Chloe mentally thanked her stars that they hadn't managed to hospitalize the newbie on her first day.

"She's not nearly as scary as she tries to be, is she? Emily suddenly asked Stacie while Chloe was replacing her ice pack.

"Who? Beca?"

"Yeah, I was really intimidated by her at the activities fair but she completely lost her chill just now and she hasn't stopped asking if I'm okay for the past hour."

"You just have to get to know her, she's about as scary as a sleepy kitten." Stacie nodded.

"Yeah, she's a pineapple." Chloe hummed happily as she went to check the friction burn Emily had also managed to acquire on her elbow. Emily stared at her in confusion.

"She's a what?"

"And here we go with the metaphor again." Stacie mumbled, rolling her eyes.

"Hard, spiky exterior, nothing but sweet, sweet mush underneath." Chloe grinned…then that grin froze as a voice came from behind her.

"That's what that means?" Beca asked, approaching and handing the fresh ice pack to Chloe. "So all those times I heard you talking on the phone with Bree about me having a 'pineapple' moment…"

"You were doing something unbelievably sweet and acting like you weren't."

"I'm not a pineapple." Beca scowled.

"Uh huh."

"I'm not."

"So what's that then?" Chloe asked, noticing the plastic tub with 'THIS IS BECA'S. HANDS OFF AMY OR I WILL CUT YOU' scrawled in heavy black marker all over it half hidden behind Beca's back. Chloe felt her heart warm at the reluctant grumble her girlfriend gave. "Sorry, what was that? Couldn't quite hear."

"I figured Em might like some ice cream or whatever to help her feel better." Beca sighed, thrusting the tub towards Emily in defeat. "But I'm not a pineapple okay?"

"It's okay, Beca, it sounds like Chloe loves eating pineapple." Emily replied, an overly innocent smile on her face as she took the tub from Beca's hands. Beca stared in shock as she watched Stacie give the younger girl a high five while Chloe struggled not to laugh along with them. She hid her laughs in her hand at her DJ's scowl.

"You've corrupted her already?" Beca accused the still cackling Stacie before another voice sounded behind her.

"You'll do well here newbie." Chloe did a double take as Amy grinned at them from the doorway, dressed in a full body kangaroo onesie.

"What's with the kangaroo get up?"

"We're starting a new tradition. Bella slumber party downstairs, now. Attendance is mandatory."

"What about-" Chloe began, gesturing to the newest Bella addition in the room

"All aboard the Amy Express! Toot toot!" Amy yelled as she went to scoop Emily up off the bed bridal style.

"Oh no, I'm too heavy-"

"Shut it twiggy, I could lift twenty of you in my sleep." Amy cut off the protesting girl (who was hugging the tub of ice cream in terror) and ferried her out the door, calling over her should to the three remaining Bellas. "Come on, flat butts. Movies to watch, vodka to drink, food to eat, you know the drill." Chloe began following Amy with Beca and Stacie trailing behind but then Stacie began drifting towards her own bedroom.

"Stace?" Beca questioned.

"I'll be down a little later, I want to go say goodnight to Bree." At the mention of her best friend, whom she missed dearly since her move to Washington in pursuit of a political career a year earlier, Chloe's head snapped up excitedly.

"Oooh, can I sit in?"

"Sure." Stacie shrugged. "If you want to watch us getting naked over Skype."

"Well there's something about Aubrey I never needed to know." Beca said with a vaguely nauseated expression.

"Hey, we have needs, and long distance sucks, okay? It's been ages since I last hit that."

"You went to Washington to see her last week." Beca reminded her.

"Last week." Stacie emphasized in response. "Do you know how long a week is? I think I'm about to explode. I can't wait until I graduate so I can just go be with her."

"It'll be okay, Stace." Chloe soothed, knowing the distance was tough on her best friend and Stacie. They hadn't let it break them though.

"I know." Stacie sighed. "You two go have fun and keep Lily away from the knives, you remember what happened last time." She warned as she disappeared into her room and shut the door with a firm click. Then it was just Chloe and Beca in the hallway. Chloe, being the tactile person she is, immediately allowed her arms to loop around Beca's shoulders and bring her close.

"So, captain, how does it feel to be in charge?" She teased as Beca's arms instinctively found their way to Chloe's hips and began stroking at the skin there.

"Terrifying. I was counting on you to tell me what to do, but clearly that was a bad move, seeing as we've already managed to half kill one of our new recruits." Beca joked, though Chloe could hear an undercurrent of worry about failure.

"Yeah, Bree was always more the management and control side of things. That's your responsibility now."

"What? Nobody told me this captaining thing came with responsibilities! I want out." The brunette moaned, though her mouth twitched, betraying the smile Chloe knew was dying to make an appearance. She could arrange that.

"Calm down, there are perks to the job." She said in a low voice, dangerously close to Beca's ear.

"Oh yeah, like what?"

"I think I have time to quickly demonstrate a couple of them before anybody comes searching for us." Chloe grinned, watching the smile she'd been searching for dawn on Beca's face. She took shorter girl's hand and began tugging her gently towards their shared bedroom, relishing the feeling of Beca's eyes roaming appreciatively over her body.

"Aca-_awesome_."

* * *

_**A huge and never ending thank you to everyone who reviewed, favourited, followed and took the time to read this story. It started out as this weird little idea of Chloe thinking of Beca as a pineapple that I thought would never get past a one shot but the support for this story has been overwhelming. Love you awesome nerds.**_


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